Black Stars coach Otto Addo has admitted that Ghana was fortunate to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

In a frank conversation with the Ghana FA media team after Ghana’s disastrous AFCON 2025 qualifying campaign, where the team picked up just two points out of a possible 12 and risks failing to qualify for the continental showpiece for the first time in 20 years, Otto Addo expressed his concerns.

He stated that the team has been on the decline since their failure to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

"If we look at the past few years, since we failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018, we've been struggling as a football nation," the former Borussia Dortmund Talent coach told the GFA media in posted on YouTube.

Ghana narrowly beat Nigeria to the Qatar World Cup ticket via the away goal rule after after the playoffs which ended one-all on aggregate.

The first leg in Kumasi ended 0-0, while the second encounter in Abuja finished 1-1. Addo attributed the team's success to luck.

"We were lucky to qualify in 2022 with me as head coach. C.K. Akonnor and Milovan Rajevac both did their part before me, and we were fortunate to make it," he added.

Otto Addo returned for a second stint after a disastrous AFCON 2023 campaign in Cote D’Ivoire earlier this year.

He started his second spell with two victories on the bounce - agonist Mali in Bamako and Central African Republic in Kumasi.

But the AFCON 2025 qualifiers have seen the Black Stars draw two and lost two, including a first defeat at Baba Yara Stadium in 24 years to Angola.

The results have left Ghana third in their qualifying group, five points behind Sudan, and 10 adrift Angola who has already qualified for the tournament in Morocco.

But Addo remains adamant.

"Anyone who has seen our home games against Nigeria, Angola, or Sudan knows the players have the talent. If we can stick to our strengths, play good football, and combine that with passion, we can move forward."

Ghana now faces a must-win situation in their final two games of the AFCON qualifiers in November, while also needing Sudan to lose their next two games to have any chance of securing a spot in Morocco.