The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has revamped the Technical Team of the Black Stars after a thorough review of the team’s performance during last year’s qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Experienced and accomplished German Manager and former African Cup of Nations Winner (with Cameroon in 2002), Winfried Anton Schafer, has been appointed as Technical Advisor of the team.
His mandate is to work closely with Head Coach, Otto Addo to build a winning team. Schafer will also play the role of Director of Football for the Football Association.
Winfried Schafer assumes the role having excelled in a managerial career spanning a little over 40 years working with a number of National teams (Cameroon, Thailand, and Jamaica) as well as European clubs, including Borussia Monchengladbach, Karlsruher SC, VFB Stuttgart, and Borussia Berlin.
The highlight of Schafer’s experience with national teams was his winning the African Cup of Nations with Cameroon in 2002.
Schafer has also coached in the United Arab Emirates, working with top clubs, namely Al Ain, Al-Ahli Dubai, Baniyas, and Al-Khor. His last coaching role was with Al Khor.
Coming on board as Assistant to Otto Addo is the architect of Ghana’s resurgence at the male Under-20 level, Coach Desmond Ofei.
The Africa Games gold medal-winning Coach and Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) Coach of the Year 2024, who has swiftly carved a niche for himself as an achiever, is expected to bring his expertise and deep analytical prowess to the team.
Kris Perquy, an experienced Sports Psychologist with 17 years of experience, takes up the mantle of Psychologist of the team. Perquy was a key resource in the professionalization of the football psychology of Belgium, where he worked with the Belgian Football Association for 15 years.
He also worked as a Mental Coach for a number of professional football clubs in Belgium.
The Video Analysis Unit of the team will be headed by Belgian Video Analyst Gregory De Grauwe, who has built his expertise and experience in Video Analysis working with football clubs, including Sporting Lokeren and K. Beerschot VA.
De Grauwe holds a UEFA License B Coaching license as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education.
Two new, vastly experienced Equipment Officers, in the persons of Issah Amadou (Asante Kotoko) and Abdul Rahman Alhassan (Hearts of Oak), have also been named to the team.
These two equipment handlers have a combined total of fifty-three years of experience between them.
