Black Meteors coach Desmond Ofei has rejected suggestions that his limited presence at domestic matches means Ghana are not doing enough to identify players for the national team.
Ghana are preparing to face Libya in the second round of the African qualifiers as they attempt to return to the men’s football tournament at the Olympic Games for the first time since 2004.
Ofei made the comments after watching Hearts of Oak beat Basake Holy Stars over the weekend. He said player selection was based on the combined work of the technical team, Ghana Football Association (GFA) scouts, video analysis and wider background checks.
The coach said he was not required to attend every match personally because other members of the technical team and the GFA’s scouting network also contribute to the process.
“Everybody has their opinions in football, and I don’t need to announce myself at the match venues I visit. I am not the only person in the technical team; we have others like Yaw Preko and Mallam Nuru,” he said.
Ofei added that the team’s preparations had enabled them to select the players they felt were best suited to their current requirements.
“We have scouts in the FA who do scouting for us. We also do a lot of video scouting as well. So we don’t necessarily have to be at the venues to see the players that we need to see, but we have done enough homework to pick the best players to help us. We believe we have the best players to help us at the moment.”
The Black Meteors are scheduled to travel to Libya for the first leg of their second-round tie during the November 2026 international window. The return fixture will be played in Ghana.
Ghana are aiming to end a 24-year wait for an Olympic appearance.
