HISTORIC: Otto Addo Is The First Ghanaian To Qualify For World Cup As A Player And Coach

The interim coach of the Ghana Black Stars, Otto Addo has made history after guiding Ghana to the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

Otto Addo, 46, became the first Ghanaian to qualify for the World Cup both as a player and a coach.

Coach Kwesi Appiah was the first Ghanaian coach to ensure qualification for the Black Stars to the World Cup in 2014. However, he did not get the chance to partake in the mundial as a player.

But for Otto Addo, he played in Ghana’s maiden World Cup campaign in 2006; and has now guided the national to qualify for Qatar 2022 as a coach.

The Black Stars qualified following a heart-throbbing 1-1 draw against Nigeria at the Mashood Abiola Stadium in Abuja, on Tuesday evening.

An 11th minute strike by Thomas Partey was cancelled out after the referee awarded the Super Eagles a penalty, which was neatly converted by captain William Troost-Ekong; leaving the spoils for both teams to share.

The result ensured Ghana’s qualification on the away goal rule, after the first leg ended in a goalless draw at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.

Despite being born in Germany, Addo decided to switch nationalities to play for Ghana; earning 15 caps for the West African nation.

The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder made his debut in 1999 and was part of the Ghana side that qualified for the country’s first-ever World Cup in Germany in 2006.

After retiring in 2008, he began his coaching badges and returned to serve in different roles with the Black Stars, including head scout and assistant coach.

In February 2022 after an abysmal performance in the African Cup in Cameroon which saw the Black Stars exit in the group stage, the GFA named Otto Addo as an interim coach ahead of the World Cup playoffs against Nigeria.

Accepting the challenge, Otto Addo successfully guided the Black Stars back to the World Cup on away goals following a 1-1 aggregate draw against Nigeria.