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.

Head coach Otto Addo has unveiled the squad for the Ghana national football team ahead of their upcoming international friendly matches against the Austria national football team and the Germany national football team later this month.

The two games form part of Ghana’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the technical team aiming to fine-tune the squad ahead of the global tournament.

Most of the players included in the squad featured during the World Cup qualification campaign. However, the Black Stars coach has also handed debut call-ups to four new players: Derrick Luckassen, Patrick Pfeiffer, Marvin Senaya, and Daniel Agyei.

Ghana will first take on Austria in Vienna on March 27 before travelling to Stuttgart for a high-profile clash against Germany on March 30, 2026.

Full Ghana Squad

Goalkeepers:
Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St. Gallen), Benjamin Asare (Accra Hearts of Oak), Joseph Anang (St. Patrick’s Athletic)

Defenders:
Patrick Pfeiffer (SV Darmstadt), Derrick Luckassen (Pafos FC), Derrick Köhn (Union Berlin), Jerome Opoku (Istanbul Basaksehir), Caleb Yirenkyi (FC Nordsjaelland), Kojo Oppoong Pepprah (OGC Nice), Jonas Adjetey (VfL Wolfsburg), Marvin Senaya (Auxerre), Alexander Djiku (Spartak Moscow), Gideon Mensah (Auxerre)

Midfielders:
Thomas Partey (Villarreal), Elisha Owusu (Auxerre), Ibrahim Sulemana (Cagliari), Kwasi Sibo (Real Oviedo)

Forwards/Wingers:
Brandon Thomas-Asante (Coventry City), Jordan Ayew (Leicester City), Prince Adu (Viktoria Plzen), Christopher Bonsu Baah (Al Qadsiah), Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Leicester City), Iñaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City), Kamaldeen Sulemana (Atalanta), Daniel Agyei (Kocaelispor)

The friendlies are expected to give Coach Otto Addo the opportunity to assess new talents while strengthening team chemistry ahead of crucial international competitions.