For Otto Addo, Ghana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup is not about flashy predictions or bold promises but rather about discipline, teamwork and belief.
The Black Stars coach is quietly building a side he hopes will compete with purpose, unity and resilience on football’s biggest stage.
The gaffer says that, despite not boasting the biggest names on his roster, he is determined to take the national team back to the glory days when they stood toe-to-toe with the world’s best.
“We don’t have the biggest stars,” he admits with disarming honesty. “But we can become the best team if we work for each other.”
After guiding Ghana to back-to-back World Cup tournaments, Otto Addo has set his target on taking the team beyond the group stage with a side bold enough to dream big like their illustrious predecessors who reached the Round of 16 in 2006 and the quarter-final in 2010 in South Africa.
“First of all, we’re looking forward to the World Cup. We want to reach the next round and the knockout stages, that’s for sure,” he told the Daily Graphic in an exclusive interview. “Once we get there, I believe anything can happen. In a single match, everything is possible.”
Three days after masterminding Ghana’s impressive turnaround in the World Cup qualifying campaign, boasting seven wins and a draw in eight matches, Otto Addo looked relaxed but focused at the Ghana Football Association (GFA) head office in Accra, as he reflected on the journey ahead.
His voice carried the calm conviction of a man who had seen both triumph and turbulence since taking over the Black Stars in March 2024.
Reborn after redemption
Only a few months ago, he faced fierce criticism and was under pressure following a failed AFCON qualifying run that saw the team go six matches without a win. But instead of firing the coach, the GFA stood by him to rebuild the team.
He steadied the ship, restored confidence, and led Ghana back to the world stage with a renewed sense of direction and hope.
Now, he looks very much like a man reborn, back at the helm of a side unbeaten in eight competitive matches and brimming with quiet belief.
And if there is one story that fuels Otto Addo’s World Cup dream, it is Morocco’s fairytale run to the semi-finals in Qatar 2022. For him, that performance by the Atlas Lions — Africa’s best ever World Cup run — was living proof that underdogs with heart, structure and discipline can outsmart the giants.
“We saw that at the last World Cup, where Morocco did really well. And we hope that we can do something similar, too,” he added with the quiet confidence of a dreamer and a pragmatist setting realistic targets.
He knows his team may not boast household names across the pitch, but he insists the gap in world football has narrowed enough for hard work and structure to make the difference. “These days the gap has closed so much that nowadays, anyone can beat anyone. First, we have to survive the group stage — that’s the most important thing,” he stressed.
His World Cup blueprint for success is built around players who are ready to wear the national jersey with pride, who defend as a unit, and sacrifice for the next man.
He insists discipline will be non-negotiable, teamwork will be the lifeblood, and belief will be the difference between Ghana’s survival and success in North America.
“The real key to success is playing as a team, working for each other, showing individual strengths, and adapting to every opponent. If we can do all that and keep working hard, then truly, anything is possible,” he charged.
That mindset is already taking root in camp, and the coach is speaking of an encouraging atmosphere in camp, the mood among his players — positive energy, hunger and a newfound sense of unity.
And if there is one thing that gives the coach confidence, it is the leadership structure within his current squad, such as Jordan Ayew’s leadership by example, Mohammed Kudus’ growing maturity and Thomas Partey’s quiet influence, as the emotional engine to Ghana’s resurgence
“There was high commitment in the games, and we had a very good group of players,” he revealed. “The players adapted so fast, and we had good leadership, starting with our captain Jordan, but also the leadership group with Kudus and Partey.”
Team leadership
Ayew’s transformation under Otto Addo has been one of the team’s defining stories. The veteran of the 2014 and 2022 World Cups made 14-goal contributions (scored seven goals with seven assists) in Ghana’s haul of 23 goals in the qualifiers, and became the embodiment of selflessness and experience that the coach values.
Very few understand Ghana’s World Cup story journey better than Otto Addo. He has lived the Black Stars story from every angle, first as a member of the team’s historic debut in 2006 as a player, scouted for the side in 2010 and 2014, and now returns as head coach armed with experience, a better understanding of the team dynamics and how to navigate the challenges of football’s biggest stage.
Now, the 50-year-old speaks like a man who has been through the storm and come out wiser, tougher, and hungrier to accomplish an unfinished business.
And in achieving the team’s turnaround over the last one year, he has proven to be a coach unafraid to shake up the old order and make major, unpopular but necessary calls, most notably, dropping long-serving captain André Ayew and rewarding form over fame by making home-based goalkeeper Benjamin Asare as Ghana’s No.1 and giving a late call-up for Spain-based midfielder Kwasi Sibo, with the two players immediately establishing themselves in the team and contributing to Ghana’s qualification.
