Former Black Stars psychologist Dr. Patrick Ofori has defended head coach Otto Addo amid criticisms following Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Despite missing out on AFCON, Addo successfully guided the team to secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico this summer.

Speaking to Citi Sports, Dr. Ofori stressed that the national team’s struggles cannot be pinned solely on Addo. He highlighted the importance of a strong technical framework and collective responsibility in modern football.

“I think it is highly unfair for anybody to single out the coach and then blame him,” Dr. Ofori said.

He also pointed out a common trend in the region, where management committees are often bypassed, and the coach becomes the primary scapegoat.

Dr. Ofori praised the Ghana Football Association (GFA) leadership, led by president Kurt Okraku, for taking corrective steps after identifying gaps in the technical setup that contributed to the AFCON setback.

“I give credit to Kurt and his team. When they realised that they failed in their appointment of other technical staff, which led to our inability to qualify for AFCON, they quickly reassembled the team around them. So clearly, you couldn’t have blamed only the coach.”

GFA Communications Director Henry Asante Twum confirmed that the Black Stars’ technical team will be strengthened ahead of the 2026 World Cup.