President Mahama Urges Ghanaians to Support Otto Addo After World Cup Qualification
President John Dramani Mahama has called on Ghanaians to rally behind Black Stars head coach Otto Addo and his technical team after leading the national side to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in emphatic style.
Despite facing heavy criticism earlier in the qualifying campaign, Otto Addo guided Ghana to another World Cup appearance — making it back-to-back qualifications following the 2022 edition in Qatar.
The President’s appeal follows a period of intense public debate over Addo’s suitability for the job after Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. However, the coach silenced his critics by delivering an impressive qualifying run that saw Ghana finish top of Group I with an outstanding record.
President Mahama praised Addo’s leadership and urged Ghanaians to give him and his staff the freedom to prepare the team without unnecessary distractions.
“Let us give the management and technical team some peace. I know that we are 33 million coaches in Ghana, but please let us keep our coaching to ourselves,” President Mahama said in an interview with Sporty FM.
He also cautioned fans about the negative effects of online criticism and emphasized the importance of unity and mental support for both the players and the coaching staff.
“Let the coaches and managers handle the team without distracting them… these days of social media, people can say hurtful things that would affect the mental health of the players. So please refrain from some of these things… and support the Black Stars to the hilt.”
His success has now placed Ghana among the elite African nations heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
