Otto Addo has accepted full responsibility following Ghana national football team’ heavy 5-1 defeat to Austria national football team in an international friendly in Vienna.
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‎The loss, suffered at the Ernst Happel Stadium, marks Ghana’s heaviest defeat since 2007, when they were beaten 5-0 by Saudi Arabia in a similar friendly.
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‎Speaking after the match, Addo emphasised collective accountability but made it clear he was prepared to take responsibility as head coach.
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“I take full responsibility when we win. I take responsibility. But we are all together. It’s not all about me. When we win, it’s not only about me, it’s also about the team, the technical staff and the players,” he said.
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‎“We all have to take responsibility. Surely, we have to do much better. If we win, we take responsibility. If we lose, we take responsibility. But it’s about the team.”
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‎Despite the heavy scoreline, Addo pointed to missed opportunities and defensive lapses as key factors behind the defeat. Ghana created several chances but failed to convert, while avoidable errors at the back proved costly.
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‎“It was a very difficult game for us. We had some really good situations where we could have scored. Out of three or four situations, we should have scored one,” he noted.
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‎The coach also highlighted mistakes in the build-up to Austria’s goals, including the penalty incident involving Jonas Adjetey.
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‎“But this is football. At the end, we conceded a goal where we had to drop earlier and attack the ball better. Unluckily, it hit Jonas Adjetey’s hand and they scored from the penalty,” Addo explained, adding that he believed there may have been a foul in the build-up.
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‎The Black Stars will now shift focus to their next challenge against Germany national football team in Stuttgart on Monday, as they seek to respond and rebuild confidence in their ongoing preparations for the 2026 World Cup.