Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Henry Asante Twum, has explained the specific responsibilities of Desmond Ofei within the Black Stars’ technical team.
Ofei joined head coach Otto Addo’s backroom staff ahead of the resumption of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in March 2025, following his stint as head coach of the Black Satellites, where he led the team to the quarter-finals of the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Speaking on Sporty FM, Asante Twum described Ofei as a keen observer with a sharp eye for detail, whose role complements that of the head coach.
“Desmond [Ofei] is more like a game reader or an analyst. He sits on the bench and picks up some of the petty things that his boss [Otto Addo] may not have picked up,” he explained.
He noted that Ofei plays a crucial role in set-piece situations, working closely with assistant coach Gregory during both training sessions and matches.
According to Asante Twum, there is a clear division of responsibility within the technical team, with Ofei taking charge during defensive set pieces, while Gregory leads during attacking situations.
“Also, when they are preparing for set pieces during training, he does it with Gregory. When we are defending set pieces, Otto takes a seat and Desmond comes in. When we are attacking, Gregory comes in, and when the players see him, they know what to do,” he said.
Asante Twum added that the impact of the technical adjustments has been evident in recent matches.
“In the last five games of the qualifiers during the technical shake-up, we scored more goals from set pieces. It’s because of these combinations that joined,” he stated.
Ghanaians will be hopeful that the strengthened technical setup will help the Black Stars make further progress as preparations continue for the 2026 World Cup, which begins later this year.
The senior national team is expected to regroup in March for their next international assignment, following a friendly match against Germany in Stuttgart.
