“We were more matured and clinical in World Cup Qualifiers”- Otto Addo
Black Stars head coach Otto Addo has outlined the key reasons behind Ghana’s impressive performance in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, contrasting it with the team’s disappointing run during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
Under Addo’s guidance, Ghana endured a difficult AFCON qualifying campaign — their first failure to reach the continental showpiece in two decades. However, the same coach masterminded a dominant World Cup qualifying series, where the Black Stars topped Group I, winning nearly all their matches except for a shock 1-1 draw with Chad.
Following Ghana’s crucial 1-0 victory over Comoros in Accra, which officially secured qualification to next year’s World Cup in North America, Addo reflected on the difference between both campaigns.
“To say it very simply, we scored more goals [in the World Cup qualifiers than the AFCON qualifiers], we were more matured, we were more clinical in our finishes,” Addo explained.
The former Borussia Dortmund assistant coach noted that improved focus, composure, and unity within the squad played a pivotal role in transforming the team’s fortunes.
“There were less distractions also… but I do think we’ve now come together as a united team. If you have unity, everything is easy,” he added.
Ghana’s qualification marks their fifth appearance at the FIFA World Cup, reinforcing their status as one of Africa’s most consistent footballing nations on the global stage.
The Black Stars will now turn their attention to preparations for the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
For Otto Addo and his men, the focus will be on building upon the maturity, teamwork, and clinical edge that powered them through the qualifiers — traits that could prove vital when they take on the world’s best next summer.
