ACCRA, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Ghana Football Association (GFA) on Friday appointed five persons to strengthen the technical staff of the Black Stars for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
According to the GFA, the additions to the backroom staff of the Black Stars form part of efforts to enhance the team's competitiveness and ensure a balanced technical structure as Ghana prepares for the global showpiece to be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The five persons include French tactician, Alain Ravera who has been appointed assistant coach. Ravera brings extensive international experience, having previously served as an assistant coach with the Guinea national team and French club AS Monaco.
Ravera will be joined by Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren, who guided the women's national team to a bronze medal at the 2025 Women's Africa Cup of Nations and also secured qualification for the 2026 WAFCON, a campaign he will continue to lead.
The third person is Spanish coach Jose Daniel Martinez Alfonso, who works as an assistant coach and video analyst with Major League Soccer side Atlanta FC.
The medical team has also been reinforced 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 provide continuity and familiarity within the setup.
Finally, British-born Ghanaian performance specialist, Dwayne Peasah Paa Kwesi, has been named performance coach. He will be responsible for physical conditioning, player optimisation and overall performance management during the World Cup campaign.
The new technical members, according to the GFA, will work alongside the existing backroom staff led by head coach Otto Addo. ■
