Otto Addo was appointed through the backdoor, says 'unhappy' Kudjoe Fianoo

Former Black Stars Management Committee member Kudjoe Fianoo has taken aim at the Ghana Football Association (GFA), accusing the body of sidestepping due process in the handling of Otto Addo’s reappointment as head coach.

Addo, 50, was handed a 34-month deal on March 15, 2024, marking his return to the Black Stars job after Chris Hughton was dismissed in the wake of Ghana’s group-stage exit at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Although he successfully guided Ghana to qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, his second spell in charge was defined by mixed results.

Across 22 matches, he registered eight wins, five draws and nine defeats, with the team also enduring a difficult run in recent friendlies, including losses to Japan, South Korea, Austria and Germany.

His tenure ultimately ended after back-to-back defeats to Austria and Germany during the March international break, prompting the GFA to part company with him.

Speaking on Kessben Sports, Fianoo questioned the transparency of the appointment process and suggested the association failed to follow its own established criteria.

“If you look at how Otto got the Black Stars job, it even got to a point where he didn’t want the job again. We brought out a criteria to pick a new coach, and Otto Addo was appointed through a backdoor, which shows those running the football don’t have Ghanaians at heart," he said.

He also argued that the GFA missed an earlier opportunity to make a change following Ghana’s failure to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations.

"An opportunity came to fire him when he failed to qualify the team for the AFCON, but we played around," Fianoo added.

The GFA is expected to appoint a new head coach in the coming days ahead of a training camp scheduled for May. Ghana will play Mexico in a friendly before facing Wales on June 2 as part of preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Black Stars will open their World Cup campaign against Panama on June 17, before meeting England on June 23 and Croatia on June 27, as they target a stronger showing after group-stage exits in 2014 and 2022.

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