Ghanaians should give Otto Addo another opportunity, says Laryea Kingston
Addo was reappointed in March 2024, taking over from Chris Hughton on a permanent basis with a three-year contract that includes an option for a two-year extension.
However, after just eight months in charge, pressure is mounting on the 49-year-old coach, who has overseen Ghana’s worst-ever AFCON qualifying campaign, failing to secure a single victory. The four-time AFCON champions finished bottom of Group F, which included Sudan, Angola, and Niger.
Ghanaians have endured a challenging three months, witnessing their national team lose at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium for the first time in two decades. As a result, Ghana will not participate in AFCON for the first time since 2004.
Despite this setback, Kingston, who earned over 40 caps for Ghana, remains confident that Addo needs more time to make necessary improvements.
“For me at the moment, we shouldn't change anything,” Kingston stated in an interview with Flashscore.
“I think Otto is even disappointed in himself. And I believe by now he's trying to ask himself questions about what really happened and what he can do to improve it.”
While the AFCON qualifiers have been rough, Ghana's contrasting performance in the World Cup qualifiers offers hope for the future. Back-to-back victories against Mali and the Central African Republic have propelled Ghana to joint top of Group I alongside Comoros, with nine points after four matches.
Kingston warns against making hasty changes to the coaching staff: “If we change the coach and the technical team and bring new faces, it will be a disaster.
"I think we should allow him to at least finish the World Cup qualifiers - who knows? Maybe he can qualify. And then after that, we make a decision as a country. So we should give him another opportunity.”
Reflecting on his own experience in 2004 when Ghana failed to qualify for AFCON, Kingston recalls being part of a new generation of players tasked with restoring pride in the national team. His cohort quickly responded by qualifying for the 2006 World Cup - a feat he believes the current squad is capable of achieving as well.
“After we did not qualify for the AFCON the whole country was not happy and a new team was built. I was lucky enough to join the new squad that the FA decided to build,” he recalled.
“I found myself with a lot of amazing footballers, footballers that are ready, footballers that mentally they are very strong out there because it wasn't easy at all but we have players that they wanted to die for their nation, they gave their all.
“There were unfamiliar faces but once we found our rhythm, we started enjoying football again, and so did the country.
"It was a similar situation like now but the structures put in place by Kwasi Nyantaki, Fred Pappoe, Randy Abbey, and Owoahene Acheampong to start something new helped,” he added.
Ghana will not be back in action until next March when they face Chad and Madagascar in World Cup qualifiers.
Meanwhile, the Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association is expected to meet on Wednesday to discuss the failure to qualify for AFCON and evaluate Addo’s future with the team.
