Qualifying Ghana to 2022 World Cup was massive for me than the 2026 one – Otto Addo

Black Stars head coach Otto Addo says Ghana’s qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar remains more significant to him than their latest qualification for the 2026 tournament, citing the difficult circumstances under which the team earned their place three years ago.Addo made history by becoming the first Ghanaian coach to guide the Black Stars to two consecutive World Cups.He first achieved the feat in 2022 as interim coach, leading Ghana past Nigeria in a tense playoff.The Black Stars drew 0–0 in Kumasi before securing a vital 1–1 result in Abuja, qualifying on the away goals rule thanks to Thomas Partey’s strike.Reflecting on that campaign, Addo admitted it was a defining moment in his coaching journey.“The first World Cup qualification was more massive than this because we had a really short time. The conditions were not good because we had to play Nigeria."Also, nobody except my close circle believed in me at that time,” he told Joy Sports.Under Addo’s renewed leadership, Ghana later went unbeaten in the 2026 qualifiers, finishing top of Group I with 25 points to secure another World Cup berth.