BY Issah Olegor
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has taken a decisive step in strengthening the Black Stars’ technical and support framework ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup by appointing five experienced professionals to key backroom roles, signalling a renewed institutional commitment to long-term preparation and high-performance standards.
The appointments, made after consultations with key stakeholders in Ghana football, form part of a broader strategy to deepen the technical depth around the national team as Ghana prepares for the world’s biggest football tournament, which will be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The move reflects the GFA’s long-standing policy of expanding the Black Stars’ technical team whenever the country qualifies for major international competitions, particularly the World Cup.
At the technical level, French coach Alain Ravera has been appointed as Assistant Coach, bringing with him extensive international experience.
Ravera previously served as an assistant coach with the Guinea national team and French Ligue 1 side AS Monaco, giving him exposure to both African and European football systems.
His appointment is expected to strengthen tactical planning, training structure and match-day decision-making within the Black Stars setup.
He is joined in the assistant coaching role by Swedish tactician Kim Lars Björkegren, who is currently the head coach of Ghana’s senior women’s national team, the Black Queens. Björkegren recently guided the Black Queens to a bronze medal finish at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and has successfully led the team to qualification for the 2026 Women’s AFCON, which he will also oversee in South Africa.
His inclusion in the Black Stars technical team represents a rare cross-integration of elite coaching expertise between the men’s and women’s national teams.
To strengthen analysis, scouting and match preparation, the GFA has appointed Spanish national José Daniel Martínez Alfonso as part of the technical structure.
Martínez Alfonso currently works as an assistant coach and video analyst with Major League Soccer side Atlanta FC. His role will focus on performance analysis, opponent scouting, tactical breakdowns and data-driven preparation—areas increasingly central to modern international football.
The medical and performance departments have also been reinforced, reflecting lessons learned from previous tournament campaigns.
Carlos Lozano Romero has returned as Team Physiotherapist, having previously worked with the Black Stars during Ghana’s 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign in Qatar.
His reappointment ensures continuity, institutional memory and familiarity with the national team environment, an area the GFA views as critical to injury prevention and player recovery management.
Completing the new appointments is British-born Ghanaian performance specialist Dwayne Peasah Paa Kwesi, who takes up the role of Performance Coach.
A long-serving support figure within the football ecosystem when called upon, his responsibilities will centre on physical conditioning, player optimisation, workload management and overall performance development throughout the World Cup campaign.
According to the GFA, all five appointments are specifically tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, reinforcing the project-based approach traditionally used for major tournaments.
The new appointees will work alongside the existing technical team led by Head Coach Otto Addo, who guided Ghana through qualification and remains the central figure in the Black Stars’ tactical and strategic direction.
Historically, Ghana has expanded its technical bench ahead of major tournaments, including the 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2022 World Cups, recognising that success on the global stage depends not only on player quality but also on elite-level preparation, sports science, analysis, and structured support systems.
