Ghana Football Association blasted for heading to the World Cup with ‘part-time’ coach

Former Ghana defender Joe Addo has criticised the Ghana Football Association for trusting ‘part-time’ coach Otto Addo ahead of the World Cup. WHAT HAPPENED? Addo expressed disappointment that GFA handed the reins to the 47-year-old, who doubles his duties with his role as coach of Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund. His sentiments come just two days after Otto Addo hinted that he will leave the Ghana job after the World Cup to focus on his duties in Germany. WHAT DID HE SAY? “The Ghana national team is going to play the most important tournament in our history, the World Cup, we’ve done it three times, we missed in Russia, and we’re going there with a part-time coach? Are you kidding me in this day and age? Hell no,” he told Ghana One TV. “We have to have a substantive coach to go to the World Cup. That’s my opinion. I could be wrong but I cannot go to a very important tournament with an interim coach. Why? We don’t have the resources to hire a permanent coach or does the coach not want to be permanent? So, either we have a permeant coach who is taking us to the World Cup or we don’t have a coach.” THE BIGGER PICTURE: Addo steered the Black Stars to World Cup qualification after taking over in March this year following the sacking of Milovan Rajevac and there have been hopes that he will continue in the role beyond the global tournament in Qatar. Addo had been working on interim basis during the playoff but after defeating Nigeria to qualify for the tournament, he was handed the reins to handle the team at the World Cup. He has, however, continued to double it with his role at Dortmund, managing three victories and as many draws as well as two defeats in his time in charge. Ghana’s defeats have come in the hands of Japan (4-1) and Brazil (3-0), giving the coach and Black Stars fans a reality check ahead of the World Cup where they are in the same group with Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay. WHAT NEXT FOR GHANA? The Black Stars will face Switzerland in a friendly match on November 17 before they travel to Qatar where they will begin their World Cup quest against Portugal seven days later, followed by meetings with South Korea and Uruguay, on November 28 and December 2, respectively.