Former Ghana international Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has called for support for under-fire coach Otto Addo, emphasizing that Addo will need collective backing to make a significant impact.
Addo, who was reappointed as coach of the Black Stars in March on a 34-month contract with an option for an additional two years, has faced heavy criticism due to the team’s disappointing performance in the qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
After four matches, Ghana finds itself in third place in Group F with only two points, putting their chances of qualifying for AFCON at risk for the first time in 20 years.
The Black Stars began poorly with a surprising 1-0 loss to Angola, followed by a 1-1 draw against Niger. They aimed to recover in a doubleheader against Sudan but ended up with a goalless draw in the first leg at Accra Sports Stadium and a 2-0 defeat in the return leg in Libya.
Despite these setbacks, Agyemang-Badu commended Addo for his previous success, especially for leading the team to the World Cup in Qatar. He urged that Addo needs everyone’s support to overcome this challenging start in the qualifiers.
“I’ve supported him [Otto Addo] since the World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria. He’s been consistently involved with the national team and understands the landscape very well,” the former Udinese star told Flashscore in an interview.
“When he was appointed, I thought, ‘He’s one of us – let’s fully back him and provide all the support we can to build something of our own.’
“When the team was depleted before the game against Nigeria, he stepped in and took charge. Though he didn’t secure any wins, he managed to lead the country to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
“The World Cup performance wasn’t bad, even though we didn’t advance past the group stage.
“He was given a four-year contract to build a strong team for us. At this stage, it’s challenging for the coach alone – he needs everyone’s support,” he added.
Agyemang-Badu cautioned against dismissing Addo as a quick fix to the team’s issues, instead advocating for collaboration among all stakeholders to revive the Black Stars’ fortunes.
“Our players perform exceptionally well with their clubs, but when they come here, things become difficult,” the former Asante Kotoko and Hellas Verona midfielder said.
“Building a national team is different from building a club team. From time to time, he [Otto Addo] will need our support because we’re all in this together. We can’t expect the technical crew to handle everything on their own.
“If we give him more time to settle in and fully understand the environment, I believe he can make a real difference for us. He’s admitted it hasn’t been easy, and the challenges have been significant.
“When you’ve changed five coaches in six years, it’s unlikely that coaching alone is the issue. We need to uncover the root cause of what’s going wrong and understand why things aren’t working as expected.
“If you sack him and bring in another coach, and after two or three games things aren’t going well, what will we do – sack him again? Ghanaians need to stand behind him; we need to support the Black Stars and the GFA.
“He still has my full support, and we need to give him a chance to show what he can do for us,” he added.
Ghana will resume international play in November, aiming to qualify for the 2025 tournament in Morocco despite the odds. The Black Stars will face Angola in Luanda on November 15, followed by a home match against Niger Republic three days later. They currently sit third in Group F, with two points from four matches, trailing both Angola and Sudan.
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