Sports
Black Stars Technical Team Revamped 10 hours ago
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Black Stars Technical Team Revamped
After a thorough review of the performance of the Black Stars during last year’s qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Ghana Football Association has revamped the Technical team of the Stars.
The vastly 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 with a mandate to work closely with Head Coach Otto Addo to build a winsome 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’ experience, takes up the mantle of Psychologist of the team. Perquy was a key resource in the professionalisation of the football psychology of Belgium, where he worked with the Belgian Football Association for 15 years. He also worked as 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’ experience between them.
Full List of Black Stars Technical Team:
Sports
Free Agent (Floating) Status approved by Players’ Status Committee on Jan 23, 2025
The Player Status Committee of the Ghana Football Association(GFA) has released a new list of players whose Free Agent (Floating) Letters are ready for collection.
The underlisted players, who were successful with their Floating Status applications, have been declared free agents and are kindly requested to visit the GFA Headquarters at Ridge, Accra, to collect their letters.
Below is the list of the players whose applications were approved on January 23, 2025:
GFA Communications
Sports
Sound Financial Management crucial for success of Football – Mark Addo
Vice President Mark Addo has urged Member Associations participating in the ongoing FIFA Financial Governance Workshop to prioritize accountability, transparency, and integrity.
Speaking on the first day of the workshop in Accra, Addo stressed that sound financial management is crucial for the success of football.
As Chairman of the Finance Committee, Addo’s remarks underscore the importance of responsible financial governance in ensuring the long-term viability of football organizations.
‘’Over the next three days, we will embark on a journey to deepen our understanding of financial governance, a cornerstone of integrity, accountability, and transparency in football’’ Vice President Mark Addo said.
‘’As we all know, football is more than just a sport. It is a global force that unites people, communities, and nations. But for the game to thrive, especially off the pitch, sound financial management is non-negotiable. This workshop reflects FIFA’s commitment to equipping us with the tools and expertise needed to safeguard the resources that sustain football’s growth’’.
‘’In Ghana, we have made strides in strengthening governance through modern auditing practices, robust financial systems, and fostering trust among our stakeholders’’ he added.
The Member Associations participating in the workshop include host Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cape Verde, The Gambia, and Kenya.
The FIFA team of experts is led by Christopher Suppiger, Head of Financial Governance, Lucca Piazza, Director, Reforms Implementation, Meryem Atouk, FIFA’s Finance Services Manager; Andrea Portabella, Senior Capacity Development and Education Manager; Silmara Sousa, FIFA Regional Coordinator for Africa; and Raissa Toure, FIFA Division Office Coordinator.
The Ghana Football Association is represented by General Secretary Prosper Harrison Addo (Esq.), Chief Finance Officer Collins Dei, Joyce Asare, and Saiyida Maryam Siba, Head of Financial Reporting.
Maxwell Caesar Kemeh, a top-level administrator at the Competitions Department, serves as the Local Liaison Officer for the Workshop.
