GFA Strengthens Black Stars Technical Team Ahead of 2026 World Cup
The Ghana Football Association (GFA), in consultation with key stakeholders, has reinforced the Black Stars’ technical team with the appointment of five experienced professionals as preparations intensify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The additions are aimed at enhancing the team’s competitiveness and ensuring a well-balanced technical structure ahead of the global showpiece, which will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
French tactician Alain Ravera has been appointed Assistant Coach. Ravera brings a wealth of international experience, having previously served as an assistant coach with the Guinea national team and French Ligue 1 side AS Monaco.
He will be joined by Kim Lars Björkegren, head coach of the Black Queens, who led Ghana’s women’s national team to a bronze medal at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and also secured qualification for the 2026 tournament, a campaign he will continue to oversee.
To strengthen scouting, match preparation and performance analysis, the GFA has appointed Spanish coach José Daniel Martínez Alfonso. Martínez Alfonso currently serves as an assistant coach and video analyst with Major League Soccer club Atlanta FC.
The medical department has also been bolstered with the return of Carlos Lozano Romero as Team Physiotherapist. Lozano previously worked with the Black Stars during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and his return is expected to ensure continuity and familiarity within the team’s medical setup.
Completing the new appointments is British-born Ghanaian performance specialist Dwayne Peasah Paa Kwesi, who has been named Performance Coach. He will be responsible for physical conditioning, player optimisation and overall performance management throughout the World Cup campaign.
According to the GFA, the appointments are strictly for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and align with the Association’s long-standing practice of reinforcing the technical team whenever Ghana qualifies for major international tournaments.
The newly appointed officials will work alongside the existing backroom staff, led by Head Coach Otto Addo, as the Black Stars step up preparations for the World Cup.
