The head coach of Ghana’s senior national football team, Otto Addo, has spoken out in defense of his methods and pedigree following the team’s shocking failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. Meeting with the media on Sunday, Addo—whose tenure has been under intense scrutiny—addressed criticism with a blend of humility and defiance.

“Most people will judge me by the results, which are good,” he said. “But I have friends, I have mentors… I trained under Klopp and Terzić, and we exchange [ideas].”

Highlighting his strong footballing background, Otoo Addo referenced his time under some of Europe’s most renowned football minds. He worked with Jürgen Klopp, the celebrated Liverpool manager, and Edin Terzić, head coach of Borussia Dortmund, and gained invaluable insights from Matthias Sammer, a key figure in German football.

“I trained under Sammer, I trained under Klopp. I was assistant to Edin Terzić when he was Dortmund head coach,” he emphasized, suggesting his tactical approach is informed by the best in the game.

The coach acknowledged that even his mentors have occasionally critiqued his decisions, but he appeared to place greater value on feedback from respected figures in the football world than from public opinion or media pundits.

“They are also critical of some things, but this has much more value if I speak to Jürgen Klopp and he says this or that, than somebody from anywhere saying, ‘This is bla bla, this is bad,’” he asserted.