Ghana will head to this month’s FIFA World Cup with a 21-man technical team, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustafa Ussif, has disclosed.
It will be led by Head Coach, Otto Addo and assisted by George Boateng and Mas-UdDidi Dramani as assistant coaches; Technical Advisor, Chris Houghton; Richard Kingson Goalkeepers’ Trainer; Henry Asante Twum as Media Manager and Daniel Yankey, an Equipment Officer.
Other are Sulley Zampa, Equipment Officer, Henry Martey, Team Manager, Samuel Ankomah, Masseur; Romeo Ricky Roy, Fitness Coach; Prince Pamboe, Team Doctor; Edward Acheampong, Video Analyst and Benjamin Ngarambe, a Physiotherapist.
The rest are Mathias Zangenberg, Athletic Coach; Jose Martinez, Match Analyst; Sebastien Sommer, Match Analyst; and four local coaches, Tanko Ibrahim, Prosper Ogum, Samuel Boadu and Ignatius OseiFosu.
“Mr. Speaker, I must report that the four top local coaches will provide additional support and also use the platform to gain experience, confidence and exposure. This is part of the broad strategy of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Ghana Football Association (GFA) to develop local coaches’ capacities.
“Ministry of Youth and Sports has remained in constant engagement with the GFA with the view of ensuring every facet of technical preparation is achieved to deliver on our target in Qatar,” Mr Ussif who is the Member of Parliament for Yagaba-Kubori told the House in Accra on Friday.
According to him, the playing body of the senior national team, the Black Stars, has been following the programme by the technical team towards the tournament and same would adequately prepare them for the tournament.
“This aspect of the preparation has mainly centered on player selection, camping and bonding for the required tactical and technical drills deemed useful towards the target in Qatar.
Based on these experiments and further monitoring, he said, the technical team has submitted a provisional list of 55 players to FIFA prior to the last friendly match against Switzerland on November 17.
He said the target of the team was to better the country’s quarter final appearance at South Africa in 2010 and that government has been working with the GFA to keep the players, technical team and officials motivated and inspired, mentally, physically and psychologically for the month-long mundial.
On expenditure, he said it would cost Ghana US$8,166,200 at the group stage but could rise to US$14,184,100 if the team progress to the semis.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
