Former Ghana captain André Ayew believes Otto Addo should have been dismissed after the Black Stars failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Ayew argued that retaining Addo after Ghana’s disappointing AFCON qualifying campaign created further problems for the national team.
Ghana finished bottom of their qualifying group after recording three defeats and three draws, missing out on the AFCON finals for the first time in two decades.
Despite the setback, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) retained Addo as head coach.
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Addo subsequently guided the Black Stars to qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup before leaving his position less than three months before the tournament in North America.
Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, hosted by former Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi, Ayew said the decision to keep Addo after the AFCON failure was the wrong one.
“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.
The former Black Stars captain acknowledged Addo’s contribution to Ghana’s subsequent World Cup qualification but questioned whether that achievement was enough to justify retaining him after the AFCON disappointment.
“I know him. I played under him when he was an assistant coach. But after that he was able to qualify us for the World Cup,” he said.
André Ayew also pointed to a poor run of results that followed Ghana’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
According to the former captain, the Black Stars endured approximately five or six poor matches after securing their World Cup place before their form eventually improved.
“The bad thing is, then we had about five or six really bad matches just after and then we fell,” he added.
His comments highlight his view that Ghana’s football authorities should have acted earlier rather than allowing the coaching situation to continue amid inconsistent performances.
Ayew stressed that the national team represents the entire country and that everyone involved must remain focused on achieving success.
“The Black Stars are for the whole country, and we want to win. But there’s a process to win,” he said.
While recognising the work Addo accomplished during his second spell in charge, Ayew maintained that the timing of the coach’s departure was a major concern.
Addo ultimately left the Black Stars less than three months before the 2026 World Cup, adding another layer of uncertainty to Ghana’s preparations for the tournament.
The 36-year-old André Ayew has not played for Ghana since the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
His latest comments are likely to reignite debate over the GFA’s handling of the Black Stars following the team’s historic failure to qualify for the 2025 AFCON.