By Coach Christopher Nimley has described the Black Stars’ technical bench as “one of the weakest” among teams heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, calling for the immediate dismissal of head coach Otto Addo.
Speaking on the Jupay Podcast, Coach Nimley argued that Ghana risks underperforming on the global stage unless urgent changes are made to the team’s technical leadership.
“I am not convinced that the current team is good enough. I have looked at not only our group in the World Cup, but I have compared our technical team to close to 90 percent of the teams in the World Cup, and our bench is one of the weakest going into the tournament. There’s no pedigree, no establishment,” he said.
“I would sack Coach Otto Addo immediately if I had my way. The Black Stars job is so attractive and lucrative that once I open the market for that job, you will see the quality,” he said.
Coach Otto Addo, a former Ghana international, first assumed leadership of the Black Stars in 2022 on an interim basis after Ghana’s disappointing Africa Cup of Nations campaign. He successfully guided the team past Nigeria in the World Cup playoffs to secure qualification for the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
After stepping down post-Qatar due to family and club commitments, he was reappointed by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) as part of a rebuilding agenda aimed at restoring confidence in the national team. His return was positioned as a move to ensure continuity while integrating younger talents into the squad.
However, performances since his reappointment have drawn mixed reactions from fans and analysts, with questions lingering over tactical identity, squad depth and consistency.
Shortly after Ghana sealed qualification for the 2026 World Cup, Sports Minister Kofi Adams publicly acknowledged concerns about Addo’s performance, even while crediting him for achieving qualification.
In an interview with Evans Mensah on JoyNews, the Minister said:
“Well, he has been lucky, but there are still concerns. Concerns that he himself most times when we meet, he will admit – maybe I should have done a substitution, or I should have urged them on, or I should have fielded this person to play this role. So there are concerns. But I must say he’s been lucky. It doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t improve.”
Mr. Adams stopped short of questioning the coach’s competence outright.
“I can’t say that he’s totally incompetent. I can’t use that word because I’m not a coach, I’m only a minister who loves the game and analyses it. Other coaches can describe whether he’s competent or not. But I’m not satisfied, that’s all that I’m seeking to say.”
He stressed that decisions about retaining or dismissing the coach rest with the Ghana Football Association, not the Ministry.
“There’s a federation that we have handed over our national team to manage – that’s the Ghana Football Association. They have a role to play. So I cannot sit here and be talking about whether we are retaining or dismissing the coach.”
The Minister’s remarks, made at a moment of national celebration, underscored the uneasy balance between qualification success and lingering doubts about performance.
Coach Nimley went beyond tactical criticism, alleging that Addo was reluctant to apply for the role when it was opened for applications.
“No wonder he himself knew from day one that he wouldn’t be chosen for the job. So when the application was opened, he himself knew he was not qualified for the job and did not apply for it. He did not apply; he was told to apply for it,” he claimed.
The outspoken coach insisted he has consistently doubted Mr Addo’s suitability for the job.
“To be honest, everybody knows my stance when it comes to Otto Addo. I think he is not good enough. I will not take him to the World Cup, and I am not going to back down on that stand.”
Central to Nimley’s concerns is his assessment of Ghana’s technical team compared to other nations preparing for the World Cup.
“I am not convinced that the current team is good enough. I have looked at not only our group in the World Cup, but I have compared our technical team to close to 90 percent of the teams in the World Cup, and our bench is one of the weakest going into the tournament. There’s no pedigree, no establishment.”
He further argued that Ghana has lacked a proper competitive benchmark ahead of the tournament – particularly at AFCON – denying the nation what he considers a crucial opportunity to evaluate the team before June 2026.
“For the fact that he has given us no opportunity whatsoever to properly assess our team before going for the World Cup, we are only sitting on a time bomb waiting to explode. The AFCON should have been the yardstick for Ghana to assess the Black Stars ahead of the World Cup.”
When asked what should be done at this stage, Nimley’s answer was unequivocal:
“Sack him.”
In early February 2026, the Ghana Football Association moved to strengthen the Black Stars’ technical structure ahead of the World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
French tactician Alain Ravera has been appointed Assistant Coach and will work alongside Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Björkegren.
Spanish coach José Daniel Martínez Alfonso has been drafted in to boost scouting and match preparation, while physiotherapist Carlos Lozano Romero returns to reinforce the medical department. British-born Ghanaian performance specialist Dwayne Peasah Paa Kwesi has also been named Performance Coach.
The GFA says the appointments are intended to ensure a balanced and competitive technical structure as Ghana prepares for the global showpiece.
Yet, despite the reinforcements and ministerial caution, Nimley remains resolute that only a change at the very top will address what he describes as structural weakness.
With the World Cup drawing closer, the debate over Addo’s leadership continues to intensify – pitting calls for stability against demands for drastic reform at the helm of the Black Stars.
