Otto Addo has taken full responsibility after Ghana national football team suffered a humiliating 5–1 defeat to Austria national football team in an international friendly played in Vienna on Friday.
The Black Stars showed promise in the opening half but collapsed after the break, conceding four goals in the second half against a side coached by Ralf Rangnick.
The defeat marks Ghana’s heaviest loss in nearly two decades. The last time the Black Stars conceded five or more goals was in 2007 when they lost to Saudi Arabia national football team.
Speaking after the match, Addo admitted the team made costly mistakes and stressed that everyone involved must accept responsibility for the disappointing performance.
Otto Addo: “We All Have to Take Responsibility”
The Ghana coach insisted that while he accepts responsibility as the head coach, the result was a collective failure involving players and the entire technical staff.
“I take full responsibility when we win and when we lose,” Addo said in an interview with the Ghana FA’s official website.
“But football is a team effort. It’s not only about me. The players, the technical staff, everybody has to take responsibility.”
Addo admitted that the early goals conceded by Ghana were preventable and ultimately shaped the outcome of the match.
“Surely we have to do much better. The first two goals were avoidable and they played a big role in how the game turned out.”
Ghana Missed Key Chances in the First Half
Despite the heavy scoreline, the Black Stars had several opportunities to take the lead earlier in the match.
Addo revealed that Ghana created three or four promising situations but failed to convert them.
“It was a very difficult game for us, but we had some really good situations where we could have scored,” he explained.
“Out of those chances, we should have scored at least one goal.”
The coach also hinted that Ghana might have been denied potential penalties during the game.
“I think one or two decisions could have been penalties, but that’s football,” he added.
One of Austria’s goals also came from a penalty situation involving defender Jonas Adjetey, a moment Addo believed could have been avoided.
Second Half Collapse Proved Costly
While the Black Stars managed to stay competitive during the first half, Addo described the team’s second-half display as disastrous.
“The second half was a really big disaster,” he admitted.
Austria’s high pressing and fresh substitutions further exposed Ghana’s defensive weaknesses, leading to additional goals that sealed the emphatic victory.
Addo said the team must quickly learn from the mistakes and improve their defensive organization, especially during transitions.
Ghana Shift Focus to Germany Friendly
Following the defeat, Ghana will now turn their attention to their next international friendly against Germany national football team.
The match is scheduled to take place in Stuttgart on Monday, March 31.
Despite the heavy loss, Addo remains confident that the Black Stars have the quality to compete with the four-time world champions.
“We have to analyse this game carefully even though we have little time,” he said.
“There were a lot of things wrong today, but I believe the team has the quality to keep up with Germany.”
Addo Urges Team to Stay Positive
The Ghana coach concluded by emphasizing the importance of maintaining the right mindset ahead of the next match.
“My job is to keep the players positive even after a defeat,” Addo said.
“We must learn from our mistakes, trust ourselves, and focus on the next game.”
Ghana will hope to bounce back strongly when they face Germany in Stuttgart as they continue preparations for upcoming international competitions.
