Former Black Stars Psychologist Dr. Patrick Ofori has pushed back against criticism of Ghana head coach Otto Addo, describing the attacks on the trainer as unfair and overly simplistic.
Speaking at a time when the Ghana Football Association (GFA) is preparing to further strengthen the Black Stars’ technical team and backroom staff ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Dr. Ofori insisted that the challenges faced by the national team cannot be placed solely at the feet of the head coach.
In an exclusive interview with Citi Sports, Dr. Ofori stressed the need for a stronger technical setup around Otto Addo, arguing that modern football demands collective responsibility and specialised support.
“I think it is highly unfair for anybody to single out the coach and then blame him,” Dr. Ofori said. “If you look at it, unfortunately in our part of the world, even when you have a management committee, people bypass the management and go straight to blame the coach.”
He also credited the GFA leadership, led by Kurt Okraku, for taking corrective steps after shortcomings in the technical structure affected Ghana’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign.
“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,” he added.
Dr. Ofori further called for additional reinforcements to the Black Stars’ backroom staff, noting that the game has evolved significantly and now requires specialised roles.
“I still think they may need to beef it up because football has evolved. There are teams that have analysts whose sole job is to study opposing defenders ; their concentration levels, behaviour and patterns,” he explained
With Ghana already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, Dr. Ofori believes strengthening the technical team will not only ease the burden on Otto Addo but also enhance the Black Stars’ competitiveness on the global stage.
Former 🇬🇭Black Stars psychologist, Dr. Patrick Ofori on the current head coach
“I think it’s highly unfair for anybody to single [Otto Addo] and then blame him…If you have a management committee, you don’t bypass the management team to blame the [coach]”#CitiSports pic.twitter.com/vpdNoT14nG
— Citi Sports (@CitiSportsGHA) January 21, 2026
