Ghana have sacked manager Otto Addo, 72 days before the start of this summer’s World Cup.

Addo’s departure followed a 2-1 defeat by Germany in a friendly in Stuttgart on Monday, and a 5-1 thrashing by Austria in Vienna last Friday.

The Black Stars, who are in the same World Cup group as England, have lost their last four games and despite having Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo and Tottenham forward Mohammed Kudus among their ranks, failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations under Addo.

Following the Germany game, the Ghana Football Association said, external it had “parted ways” with Addo and his exit was “effective immediately”.

It added: “The Ghana Football Association will communicate the new technical direction of the Black Stars in due course.”

Addo, 50, was born in Germany and spent his entire playing career in the country, also winning 15 caps for Ghana, and began his second spell as national team manager in March 2024.

The World Cup, which is being held in Canada, Mexico and the USA, runs from 11 June to 19 July.

Ghana will open their campaign against Panama on 18 June (00:00 BST) before facing England on 23 June (21:00 BST) and Croatia on 27 June (22:00 BST).

Nigeria’s Samson Adamu has been appointed Acting Secretary General of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Adamu becomes the first Nigerian to occupy the position since the organisation’s establishment over 70 years ago.

A statement by Ademola Olajire, the Director of Communications at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Sunday, said that Adamu replaced Veron Mosengo-Omba of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“He replaces DR Congo’s Veron Mosengo-Omba, who stepped down to contest the presidential election of his country’s football federation, (FECOFA).

“Prior to his appointment, Adamu served as CAF’s Director of Tournaments and Events, where he played a pivotal role in the successful organisation of major continental competitions.

“His nomination was proposed by the CAF Executive Committee and ratified by the congress at its meeting held on Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Cairo,” Olajire said.

The International Olympic Committee has announced a new policy limiting eligibility for the female category at Olympic events to biological females, with the rule to take effect from the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The decision followed approval by the IOC Executive Board, which said the policy on the protection of the female category would apply to all disciplines on the Olympic programme from LA28 onwards and would not be retroactive.

In the statement announcing the decision on Thursday, the IOC said, “For all disciplines on the sports programme of an IOC event, including the Olympic Games and for both individual and team sports, eligibility for any female category is limited to biological females.

The committee added that eligibility would be determined through screening for the SRY gene, which it described as a reliable indicator of male sex development.

According to the statement, “Eligibility for the female category is to be determined in the first instance by SRY gene screening to detect the absence or presence of the SRY gene.”

The IOC explained that the presence of the gene, usually found on the Y chromosome, is considered fixed throughout life and provides highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced male sex development.

It stated, “Based on scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the presence of the SRY gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced male sex development.”

The body noted that screening could be carried out through saliva, cheek swab or blood sample, describing the process as less intrusive than other possible methods.

The policy provides that athletes who test negative for the gene will permanently satisfy the eligibility criteria for the female category, with testing expected to be conducted only once.

The statement read, “Athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy this policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the female category… this will be a once-in-a-lifetime test.”

The IOC added that, except in rare cases involving athletes diagnosed with Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome or certain differences in sex development that do not provide performance advantage, athletes with a positive SRY result will not be eligible to compete in the female category at IOC events.

It said, “With the rare exception of athletes with a diagnosis of Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) or other rare differences/disorders in sex development (DSDs) who do not benefit from the anabolic and/or performance-enhancing effects of testosterone, no athlete with an SRY-positive screen is eligible for competition in the female category at an IOC event.”

Such athletes, however, will remain eligible to compete in other classifications for which they qualify, including male, mixed or open categories.

IOC President, Kirsty Coventry, said the decision was based on scientific evidence and aimed at ensuring fairness and safety.

She said, “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition. The policy that we have announced is based on science and has been led by medical experts.

“At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”

She further said athletes must be treated with dignity and respect, noting that screening would only be required once and must be accompanied by counselling and education.

The IOC said the policy followed a review conducted between September 2024 and March 2026 involving consultations with scientists, medical experts, legal specialists, sports federations and athletes worldwide.

According to the committee, the working group reviewing the issue concluded that male sex provides performance advantages in sports relying on strength, power and endurance, and recommended that eligibility for the female category should be based on biological sex to ensure fairness and safety.

The statement noted, “There was a strong consensus that fairness and safety in the female category required clear, science-based eligibility rules, and that protecting the female category is a common priority.”

The IOC added that the policy replaces previous guidance on gender identity and sex variations in sport and will apply only to IOC events, while international federations and national Olympic committees are expected to adopt it when setting eligibility rules.

It clarified that the policy does not apply to grassroots or recreational sports programmes.