GHANA: Conquering the World – Building on the foundations laid by Otto Addo

If any African team other than France can win the World Cup, it will be Ghana. The Ghanaian people naturally abound in talent in all spheres of life. Roger Milla, the great Cameroonian football legend, said prophetically after Cameroon announced themselves on the World Football stage that the World should wait until Ghana shows up. Milla was right: Ghana finally showed up in Germany in 2006 and made nonsense of the FIFA rankings by convincingly beating the Czech Republic (2nd-best team in the world at the time) and the USA (18th-best team in the world at the time). Ghana lost to Italy (the eventual winners of the competition) and Brazil in the second round (without Essien, the engine of their midfield).

In 2010, VAR’s unavailability prevented Ghana from advancing to the semifinals in South Africa. In 2014, in Brazil, managerial lapses off the field of play eventually distracted the playing body. They crashed out in the group stages after holding Germany (the eventual winners of the competition) to an exhilarating 2:2 draw. FIFA adjudged that group match as the best and most competitive match in the entire tournament. In 2018, Russia and Ghana failed to qualify but quickly made it back to Qatar in 2022, only to crash out again in the group stage after a series of uneventful performances with Portugal and Uruguay.

Otto Addo, the German-born Ghanaian coach, had he not been sacked prior to the 2026 World Cup, would have been the most experienced coach (in terms of both playing and coaching experience) to ever lead Ghana to a World Cup. This tiny fact underscores the greatest yet most elusive detail behind Ghana’s chronic failure to attain glory at the World Cup stage, as prophesied by Roger Milla decades ago. From Ratomir Dujkovic to Milovan Rajevac to our very own Kwesi Appiah and Otto Addo 1; none of these coaches was a proven winner or had World Cup experience either as a player (apart from Otto) or as a coach.

Otto Addo 2 was going into the 2026 World Cup as a player with experience from 2006 and a coach with the baptism of fire from 2022 until he was fired.

We have been poorly coached and relied heavily on the natural abilities of our players together with the grace of God amidst inspirational jama songs to struggle through the 4 World Cup appearances and predictably, have nothing to show for it except tales of what could have happened if….The untimely sacking of Otto Addo, the first man born of a woman to qualify Ghana for 2 consecutive World Cups, presents the GFA with a rare opportunity to right its numerous wrongs and appoint a tier-one-rated coach who is a proven winner to lead this all-important mission to conquer the world. Two names readily come to mind: Joachim Löw and Hervé Renard.

Whenever the GFA settles on one of the aforementioned proven winners, get Coach Laryea Kingston to deputise him. We wronged him when we left him for dead, wounded on the battlefield. We hung him out to dry after he had bled for his country in qualification for Germany 2006. It’s unfortunate he resigned in the middle of a tournament a couple of years ago, but as a friend puts it, “ the GFA itself is a crime scene,“ and besides, it’s Easter, let us all start on a clean slate. Otto made similar mistakes with Afena Gyan and Joseph Painstil. Let’s correct course and set sail. Deep down, I know members of the GFA still have it in them to deliver success at the highest levels for Ghana.

Squad list for the next coach, since time is fast running out. I must state that, unlike the GFA executives, whose choice of players is purely business, as they have some players in there, my selection is strictly on competence and guts. In fact, I have no relation whatsoever with any of the players, not even one.

GOAL KEEPERS-{3}
Benjamin Asare
Lawrence Atizigi
………………………………..
Joseph Tetteh Annan
*Rome Jayden Oduro
*Manaf Nurudeen
• The new Coach should use his clout to further persuade Rome Jayden Oduro to join our team, but if he fails, Manaf should be brought on board as a 3rd option primarily because of his proven penalty-stopping abilities. This skill will come in handy in the knockout stages. Rome Jayden is equally good at stopping penalties.

DEFENDERS- {8}

Alexander Djiku-CB
Kwadwo Oppong Peprah-CB
Gideon Mensah -LB
Derrick Arthur Kohn-LB
Derrick Luccason-RB/ CB
Razak Simpson -CB
*Leroy Owusu -RB
*Josh Acheampong -CB/ RB
…………………,………………
Alidu Seidu
Marvin Senaya
Jerome Opoku
Patrick Pfeifer
Jonas Adjetey
Salisu Mohamed ( if he wins the battle against ACL in time)

MIDFIELDERS- {6}
Thomas Teye Partey
Madjid Ashimeru
Caleb Yirenkyi
Kwasi Sibo
Ibrahim Sulemana
Edmund Asante – Local player of Vision One FC
…………………………………………….
*Noah Nartey ( because Denmark never used him, and they didn’t qualify either)
Elisha Owusu
Augustine Boakye
Francis Abu (if he recovers in time)

WINGERS( to be called the Northern Belt ) – 5
Mohammed Kudus
Kamaalden Sulemana
Fatawu Abdul Isshahaku
Antoine Semenyo
Joseph Painstil
…………………………………..
Christopher Bonsu Baah
Ernest Nuamah ( if he recovers in time)

ATTACK – 4
Jordan Ayew
Brandon Thomas Asante
Felix Afena Gyan
Prince Adu Kwabena
………………………………….
Jerry Afriyie
Inaki Williams
Eddie Nketia

With Joachim Löw or Hervé Renard, ably assisted by Laryea Kingston ( with renewed hunger for the mundial), leading this team into battle, we’d once again defy the odds, make nonsense of our 74th placement on the FIFA rankings and make history.

Michael Nana-Sasu (MNS)
Roosevelt Room
Caesar’s Camp David
Lashibi, Spintex

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Source: MyJoyOnline | Read the Full Story…