Otto Addo Should Have Been Sacked After AFCON Qualification Failure - Andre Ayew

Former Ghana captain Andre Ayew has said Otto Addo should have been dismissed as Black Stars coach immediately after the team failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Speaking on the Obi One Podcast hosted by former Nigeria international John Mikel Obi, Ayew argued that missing the continental tournament was unacceptable for Ghana.1

“I think that should have happened long before. I think when you’re Ghana and not qualified for AFCON, you can’t call it better. That’s my conjecture,” Ayew said.

Under Addo, the Black Stars finished bottom of their 2025 AFCON qualifying group without a win, recording three defeats and three draws. It marked Ghana’s first failure to reach the tournament in 20 years.3

Despite the setback, the Ghana Football Association retained Addo. He later guided the team to qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. However, he was sacked in March 2026, less than three months before the tournament, following a string of poor friendly results, including heavy defeats. Carlos Queiroz was appointed as his replacement.2

Ayew acknowledged Addo’s World Cup success but maintained the AFCON failure should have ended his tenure earlier. He noted he had previously played under Addo both as an assistant and head coach.

The comments come as Ghana continues to assess its technical direction ahead of future competitions.