By Nadia Ntiamoah
As Ghana prepares for its fifth appearance at the FIFA World Cup, fresh debate has emerged over recent changes to the technical structure of the Ghana national football team, the Black Stars.
With just three months to the 2026 tournament, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has strengthened the team’s backroom staff in a move intended to boost Ghana’s competitiveness on football’s biggest stage.
In February 2026, the GFA announced several additions to the technical team led by head coach Otto Addo. Among the new appointments were French coach Alain Ravera and Kim Lars Björkegren, who currently serves as head coach of the Ghana women’s national football team, Black Queens. Both were named assistant coaches to support Addo’s preparations for the global tournament.
The expanded technical team also includes Spanish scout and video analyst José Daniel Martínez Alfonso, physiotherapist Carlos Lozano Romero, and performance coach Dwayne Peasah Paa Kwesi.
The appointments were first made public on Joy FM by the GFA’s Director of Communications, Henry Asante Twum, as part of efforts to reinforce the national team’s technical and performance departments.
However, the inclusion of Björkegren in the Black Stars’ setup quickly sparked mixed reactions within the football community, with critics raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest given his existing responsibilities with the Black Queens.
The controversy resurfaced recently after former Ghana U-17 national football team assistant coach Ignatius Osei-Fosu publicly called on the GFA to reverse Björkegren’s appointment.
Speaking on Kumasi-based Luv FM, Osei-Fosu argued that the Swedish coach should focus exclusively on preparing the Black Queens for the upcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
According to Osei-Fosu, the ambitions of qualifying for the next Women’s World Cup require the Black Queens coach to devote full attention to the women’s team.
He warned that maintaining Björkegren’s dual role could risk undermining preparations for one of the two tournaments.
“I’m not calling for a change for the sake of it,” Osei-Fosu said. “They have to change unless they are throwing one of the tournaments under the bus. Ghana wants to qualify for the Women’s World Cup, and preparation is very important.”
Osei-Fosu’s comments have carried weight in local football discussions, given his coaching experience and his current position as assistant coach of the Sudan national football team. His remarks quickly spread across national sports bulletins and reignited debate about the practicality of Björkegren serving two national teams simultaneously.
Despite the concerns, some analysts argue that the timing of major competitions could actually reduce the potential conflict.
The upcoming WAFCON tournament, originally scheduled earlier in the year, was postponed by the Confederation of African Football and will now take place from July 25 to August 16, 2026. The tournament will begin just days after the conclusion of the men’s World Cup.Under this schedule, Björkegren’s involvement with the Black Stars during the World Cup would likely end before WAFCON preparations intensify. Even if Ghana progresses deep into the World Cup knockout stages, the Swedish coach could still have time to rejoin the Black Queens ahead of their pre-tournament camp.
