Stories and facts
Nana Otto Addo, born on June 9, 1975, in Hamburg, West Germany, to Ghanaian parents, is a prominent figure in the world of football, both as a former player and now as a manager.
Otto Addo holds dual nationality, having played internationally for the Ghanaian football team while also holding German citizenship.
Addo began his football career in 1991 with Hamburger SV before moving to VfL 93 Hamburg in 1993, where he played 80 league matches and scored four goals until 1996.
His next move was to Hannover 96 in the Regionalliga Nord, where he made a significant impact, helping the team to a promotion to the 2. Bundesliga in 1998. In his first season, he scored seven goals in 30 games, establishing himself as one of the league's standout players.
In 1999, Addo transferred to Borussia Dortmund, where he played over 75 times and became a Bundesliga champion in 2002. However, his time at Dortmund was marred by injuries, including three cruciate ligament tears.
Despite these setbacks, he managed to participate in the 2002 UEFA Cup Final, where Dortmund lost to Feyenoord Rotterdam.
In 2005, Addo joined 1. FSV Mainz 05, and although he struggled initially, his performance earned him a spot in the Ghanaian squad for the 2006 World Cup.
The following year, he signed a three-year contract with Hamburger SV, where he alternated between the reserves and the first team until his retirement in 2008 at the age of 33.
Internationally, Addo made his debut for the Ghana national team in 1999 and played for seven years.
He gained prominence by leading Ghana in the 2000 African Cup of Nations and played a key role in the 2006 World Cup, where Ghana secured memorable victories against the Czech Republic and the United States.
Transitioning to coaching, Addo started with Hamburger SV in 2009 as a youth team coach and assistant manager until 2015.
He later became the head scout for the Ghana national team and worked as a talent coach for Borussia Mönchengladbach before returning to Borussia Dortmund in 2019 in a similar role. He briefly served as the first team assistant coach during the 2020-21 season, winning the DFB-Pokal with Dortmund.
Addo's journey with the Ghana national team saw him appointed as a deputy coach in 2021 and later as the interim head coach in 2022.
Under his guidance, Ghana qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. At the tournament, Ghana won their second group match against South Korea, making Addo the first Ghanaian to play for and coach the national team at a World Cup and the first to win a match as a coach at the tournament.
However, Ghana's journey ended at the group stages, and Addo resigned from his position to focus on his role at Borussia Dortmund.
In March 2024, Addo was reappointed as the head coach of the Ghana national team to lead the team during the international window games against Nigeria and Uganda, before taking over permanently in May 2024.
He announced Joseph Lauman, John Painstil, and Fatawu Dauda as assistant coaches to support the team's technical setup.
Explore the life of Otto Addo below.
