The president of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Ben Nunoo Mensah, has stirred debate over the leadership of the Black Stars, asserting that Kwesi Appiah would have been a better choice as head coach than Otto Addo.

This sentiment comes in the wake of Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), marking a low point in the nation’s football history. Despite Otto Addo’s initial success in his second stint—securing consecutive victories in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers—his inability to lead Ghana out of the AFCON qualifiers has left fans and stakeholders disillusioned.

Speaking on Asempa FM, Nunoo Mensah criticized the Ghana Football Association’s (GFA) decision to overlook Kwesi Appiah after Chris Hughton’s departure following Ghana’s group-stage exit in the 2023 AFCON. “Kwesi Appiah has been one of Ghana’s best coaches in many years, and it was unfortunate we let him go in the way we did. When there was an opportunity to appoint him again, we ignored him,” he lamented.

The GOC president emphasized the financial constraints facing Ghanaian football and advocated for investing in local talent. “Most of the AFCON titles we won were with Ghanaian coaches. Why don’t we nurture local talents to reach the level of coaches like Pep Guardiola? They would be more committed to the nation,” he argued.

Kwesi Appiah, who first coached the Black Stars between 2012 and 2014 before a second stint from 2017 to 2020, remains a celebrated figure. He made history as the first Ghanaian coach to lead the Black Stars to a World Cup in 2014. His experience and connection with the team, according to Nunoo Mensah, could have been pivotal during this challenging period.

As the GFA’s Executive Council deliberates Otto Addo’s future, Nunoo Mensah’s comments have reignited the debate over whether local or foreign coaches are better suited to lead Ghana’s national team.