Ghana FA closes in on Otto Addo deal

Ghana’s interim coach, Otto Addo, could combine his job with German Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund and the Black Stars duties if negotiations between him and his current employers as well as the Ghana Football Association (GFA) are concluded successfully.

GFA President, Kurt Okraku, is in Europe in the hope of sealing a deal with the 46-year-old coach to take up the Black Stars job on a long term contract but such an agreement is dependent on the management of Dortmund, his current employers.

Addo, who is an assistant manager at Dortmund in charge of youth talent development, put his best foot forward for the top job when he led Ghana to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup at the expense of Nigeria during last month's qualifying playoffs. Subsequently, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo charged the GFA to ensure that they retain the technical team for the World Cup in Qatar.

Dual roles

The Graphic Sports understands that Mr Okraku has had fruitful talks with the coach who is ready to take the top job but appears interested in the prospects of holding onto his Dortmund role too.

However, the FA president is yet to meet with Dortmund to discuss Ghana's interest in handing their assistant coach the Black Stars top job, having previously played the role of assistant coach to Milovan Rajevac last year before replacing the Serbian as the interim coach for the World Cup qualifying playoffs.

It has emerged that Dortmund are in the process of renewing Coach Addo's contract with a lucrative deal while the prospects of leading Ghana to the World Cup is an opportunity the coach relishes while expressing the hope to convince Dortmund in the coming days to agree a contract that allows him to combine the two coaching roles.

Last week, the coach told TV3 in an interview that he believed the extraordinary relationship between him and Dortmund would be the basis for which he would be permitted to combine both jobs.

“I am meeting with my bosses on Thursday to discuss the Black Stars job and the possibility of continuing with them. Sure (I’m willing to do Black Stars job) but I have to discuss the contract

“I have a good relationship (with Dortmund) so I hope they will allow me to continue to coach the Black Stars. Hopefully (I will be able to work with Dortmund and Black Stars at the same time,” he stated.

Dortmund talks

Meanwhile, the GFA president also indicated he planned meeting with Dortmund management over the possibility of allowing their assistant coach to lead the Black Stars to the Mundial in Qatar.

Mr Okraku confirmed that he had not yet started the process of negotiating with Dortmund officials on the release of Coach Addo.