Former Black Stars assistant coach Ibrahim Tanko has thrown his weight behind under-fire Ghana coach Otto Addo as fans call for the dismissal of the 49-year-old.
Otto Addo was appointed as Black Stars coach for a second time in March when he replaced hounded-out Chris Hughton, who led Ghana to a disappointing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in January.
Otto’s first spell was largely seen as a success after he steered Ghana to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after securing crucial draws against Nigeria over two legs in the qualifying phase.
However, two losses and a draw followed at the World Cup as Otto stepped down from his role as manager, following a pre-agreement he had with the GFA to resign regardless of the outcome of the tournament.
Meanwhile, the second coming of Otto has been far from convincing, winning two games, drawing four, and losing four.
The lowest point of Otto’s second coming was captured in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, where Ghana failed to pick up a win in all of their six games, failing to qualify for the tournament as a result—a catastrophic feat that last befell the team in 2004.
Irrespective of Otto Addo’s underwhelming AFCON qualifying results, two wins in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers give the Black Stars a new lease of life, placing the team joint-top with Comoros in Group I and in pole position to qualify.
This in turn, despite calls to get Otto Addo axed, has prompted former Black Stars assistant manager Ibrahim Tanko to back the coach.
“I don’t believe the job is too big for him. He came in at a very challenging time. Remember, he took us to the World Cup in Qatar, though the performance wasn’t as expected, and then he was replaced by Chris Hughton, who was the technical director,” he told Flashscore.
“His return was always going to come with pressure. I don’t believe we should sack him; instead, we need to give him a chance. With the World Cup qualifiers coming up, should we really be bringing in a new coach?
“He just signed a three-year contract—if you sack him, you’ll have to pay. Plus, there’s no guarantee that the next coach will make an immediate impact,” he added
Otto Addo’s immediate future still hangs in the balance, with the GFA set to come to a resolution on his future after an Executive Council meeting on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Black Stars are set to return to action in March, where they will take on Chad and Madagascar in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
