Otto Addo is a retired Ghanaian-German footballer, a scout, and manager, who formerly played for Clubs in Germany and the Ghana National team during his active years. He is currently the interim head coach of the Ghana national football team, The Black Stars. Otto Addo made history on the 29th of March 2022 when he helped the Black Stars of Ghana to beat the Super Eagles of Nigeria qualifying them for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
On 25 September 2021, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) announced that they had appointed Addo as one of two deputies for the new Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac. On 9 February 2022, the Ghana Football Association again announced that they had appointed Addo as the interim coach for the Ghana national football team ahead of the team’s 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup final play-off matches against Nigeria
Although born in Germany, Otto Addo played for the Ghana national team for seven years commencing 1999, his debut being a 5–0 rout of Eritrea on 28 February 1999, and he achieved international prominence when he led the nation in the 2000 African Cup of Nations. Along with Hans Sarpei from VfL Wolfsburg, he is one of two Ghanaians with German roots to have played for the African team. Otto Addo played for Ghana as a right midfielder in the 2006 FIFA World Cup game against the Czech Republic on 17 June 2006 at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne, which Ghana won 2–0. Also, in 2006 he played in Ghana’s 2–1 win over the United States at the Frankenstadion in Nuremberg
Otto Addo was born on 9 June 1975 in Hamburg, West Germany to Ghanaian parents Mr. Ebenezer Awuku Addo and Madam Noami Amioko both hail from Akwapim and Greater Accra region respectively. Addo started his football career at a young age and by 1991 he started playing for Hamburger SV. In 1993 he left Bramfelder SV after playing there for a year to join fellow Hamburg side VfL 93 Hamburg in 1993 where he played 80 league matches and scored 4 goals from 1993 to 1996.
Otto Addo moved to Hannover 96 in the Regionalliga Nord (third German league) in 1996. His performance was exceptional in the team alongside the likes of Gerald Asamoah and Fabian Ernst. That team ripped through the season scoring more than 100 goals but later lost to Energie Cottbus in the 1997 promotion playoffs.
In 1998, Hannover was promoted to the 2. Bundesliga, the second division of professional football in Germany. In his first season, he scored seven goals in 30 games and was acknowledged as one of the elite players of the league.
In 1999, Addo transferred to Borussia Dortmund and played more than 75 times for the team, becoming Bundesliga champion in 2002. However, he was also hampered by great injury troubles, as he tore his cruciate ligaments three times in this time, the first coming after a German Cup match against SC Freiburg on 15 July 2001.
The player had an MRI scan which showed he had torn knee ligaments and underwent surgery on his right knee on 22 July at the Vail, Colorado clinic of world-renowned knee specialist surgeon Dr. Richard Steadman. He healed completely after that, and came back to play the 2002 UEFA Cup Final for Dortmund against Feyenoord Rotterdam on 8 May 2002, which Dortmund lost 3–2 at the Feijenoord Stadion in Rotterdam.
On 7 September 2002, Addo tore right knee ligaments for the second time, in a 2004 African Cup of Nations qualifier Ghana versus Uganda in Kampala. On 24 September 2003, Addo’s career was under threat after he re-injured his troublesome right knee for the third time in Dortmund’s 2–1 UEFA Cup victory over Austria Wien. He started the match but was replaced after just 38 minutes.
After sitting out the whole of 2004, Addo returned to action as a substitute in Dortmund’s 1–1 league home draw with Borussia Mönchengladbach on the last weekend of January 2005. At the beginning of the 2005–2006 season, he transferred to 1. FSV Mainz 05, but he did not make an initial impact. However, he played well enough to earn a nomination for the Ghanaian squad which appeared at the 2006 World Cup.
On 9 August 2007, Addo signed a three-year contract with hometown Hamburger SV, initially alternating with the reserves and the first team. While at Hamburg, Addo revealed his Hamburger SV goals in an interview with HSVLIVE, also addressing other topics. In 2008, he announced his retirement from playing football at the age of 38.
After retiring from playing, Otto Addo started his coaching career with his former club Hamburger SV in 2009. First served as a youth team coach and an assistant manager till 2015. In December 2013, Addo was appointed as the head scout of the Ghana national football team and prior to the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, succeeding Ibrahim Tanko following the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations and 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
Limitless Motivation 