Black Stars assistant coaches are not helping Otto Addo - George Alhassan

Ghanaian football legend George Alhassan has criticised the assistant coaches of the Black Stars, John Paintsil and Joseph Laumann, for not providing adequate support to head coach Otto Addo during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

The Black Stars endured a dismal campaign, failing to win any of their six matches against Sudan, Angola, and Niger in Group F. This marked the first time in 20 years that Ghana failed to qualify for the AFCON and the ninth time since their debut in 1963.

Reflecting on the team’s poor performance, the 1983 AFCON winner blamed the assistant coaches for not effectively collaborating with Otto Addo.

Speaking to Citi Sports, Alhassan suggested that the technical team’s lack of unity contributed to the team’s failure.

They should have done better because I don’t see that they are helping the coach himself. If you are a coach and you have a technical team, you work together with them. Or maybe they are afraid to suggest to the coach, so they sit and watch him. But if they worked together, I don’t think things like this would have happened.

What's next for the Black Stars?

With their AFCON qualification hopes dashed, the Black Stars will now shift focus to the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where they aim to secure their fifth appearance at the global tournament.

Despite widespread criticism of his leadership, reports indicate that Otto Addo might be retained as head coach. However, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has not released an official statement regarding his future.

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