Minister of Sports and Recreation Kofi Adams has addressed concerns raised regarding his office’s consulting President Mahama before dismissing former Black Stars headcoach Otto Addo despite his guiding the team to the World Cup for the second time and being the first coach to set such a record..

The former Dortmund talent manager was sacked on March 30th following the Black Stars defeat against Germany in an international friendlies as part of the preparations towards the World Cup in summer (June).

Before his dismissal on March 30, reports surfaced that, if his side lost to the Germans after suffering another defear in Austria friendlies days earlier, he will be sacked.

Consequently, speaking during an interview with Accra-based radio station, Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, the Buem Member of Parliament (MP) stated that, he didn’t President Mahama’s approval to sack Otto Addo, stressing the President’s confidence in his authority as the sector Minister to ake the right decisions for the betterment of the sector.

“I don’t need to inform the President [John Mahama] before sacking coach Otto Addo. .He knows we are capable of doing the job; that’s why he appointed us to this position,” Adams added.

Following Addo’s departure, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) appointed experienced Portuguese tactician Carlos Queiroz on a short-term four-month contract to lead the team into the tournament.

The Minister also dispelled rumours that the Black Stars' newly appointed head coach, Carlos Queiroz, earns a monthly salary of $100,000.

His response comes shortly after his unveiling, where several media reports began to circulate that he is taking home a $100k, gaining traction over the Portuguese tactician’s salary.

Disputing the rumour, Sports Minister Kofi Adams, speaking in an interview with Asempa FM, explained that “it’s not up to $100,000”.

He explained that discussions on the coach’s remuneration are still ongoing between his outfit and relevant stakeholders, adding that the final figure has yet to be determined.

“I will check the figures [of his salary] because we have not finalised and signed the full contract and everything, so I cannot give the exact figure, but it’s not up to $100,000. The condition we agreed was that we were going for a short-term contract, maximum four months, for the period of the World Cup, but the performance would determine any further agreement,” Mr Adams added.

Otto Addo’s remarks before Germany clashOtto Addo admitted that his job was never secure, regardless of whatever results he achieves with the Black Stars.

He made these remarks after his side suffered a wanton 5-1 defeat to Austria during the international friendly on Friday, March 27, in Vienna.

The 50-year-old former Ghana international has faced mounting pressure since returning to the role, with concerns over the team’s inconsistent performances growing louder in recent months.

Despite increasing calls for his dismissal, Addo insists he remains focused and undistracted by public criticism.

“Even when we qualified for the World Cup, people were calling for me to step down. So, [my job] is always under threat, but I don’t really care,” the former Borussia Dortmund assistant coach said.

On his part, his focus is to give his best for the team and make the best out of the squad as well.

“For me, the most important thing is that I prepare my best for the team to the best,” he added.

Govt host fundraiser to support Black Stars World Cup bid

Meanwhile, an amount of at $10m was raised at the launch of Black Stars' fundraising campaign organised on Monday, March 23, ahead of the World Cup qualifiers.

This information was disclosed by the Deputy Finance Minister and Chairman of the Fundraising Committee, Thomas Nyarko Ampem.

“The fundraising target is $30 million, and if you listen to the pledges and donations, on day one of the launch, we got about $10 million. We are going to put together other events, and we believe that the contributions that are coming in from the short code as well,” he said.

The launch event was attended by high-profile individuals, including President John Dramani Mahama, Sports Minister Kofi Adams, and Ghana Football Association President Kurt Okraku.