GFA part ways with John Paintsil as Black Stars assistant coach ahead of World Cup

The Ghana Football Association has reportedly parted ways with Black Stars assistant coach John Paintsil as part of an ongoing restructuring of the national team’s technical setup.

Paintsil, a former West Ham United and Fulham FC right-back, was integrated into the Black Stars’ backroom staff following the reappointment of Otto Addo in March 2024.

He previously served as assistant coach under Addo before transitioning into a high-performance role.

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His departure comes in the wake of the dismissal of Addo, while technical director Winfried Anton Schäfer has also exited as part of the broader restructuring exercise ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In a significant reset, veteran coach Carlos Queiroz has been appointed on a short-term four-month contract, subject to review after the tournament.

The former manager of the Portugal national team, Iran national team, Real Madrid CF, and Egypt national team is expected to assemble his own technical team and officially begin work next month.

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Ghana, set to make their fifth World Cup appearance, have been drawn in Group L alongside the Panama national team, the England national team, and the Croatia national team.

The Black Stars will open their campaign on June 17 against Panama before facing England on June 23 and Croatia on June 27.

The appointment of Queiroz signals a short-term strategic approach by the GFA as Ghana prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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Tasked with delivering immediate results within a limited timeframe, he is expected to introduce a refreshed technical team and tactical direction aimed at improving the Black Stars’ performance on the global stage, particularly by implementing new training methods and strategies that have been successful for other national teams in similar situations.

Ghana will be aiming to match and potentially surpass their historic achievement at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals, marking the country’s best-ever performance at the tournament.