Veteran German coach Winfried Schäfer says the opportunity to help restore Ghanaian football came at the right moment—and was simply too important to ignore.
“I couldn’t turn down Ghana,” Schäfer told Sächsische Zeitung . “The president of the federation asked me to come in and bring some structure.”
At 75, Schäfer; best known for leading Cameroon to the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations title—could have chosen to enjoy retirement.
Instead, he’s taken on one of African football’s most urgent rebuilding projects: restoring unity, structure, and belief in a Black Stars team that had failed to qualify for AFCON and was faltering in the early stages of 2026 World Cup qualification.
Since his appointment as Technical Director of the Ghana FA in January 2025, Schäfer has worked in tandem with national team head coach Otto Addo with immediate results.
Ghana has won its opening two World Cup qualifiers and shown renewed focus both on and off the pitch.
Still, Schäfer remains focused on the bigger picture.
“This is just the beginning. We must build systems that can last,” he said. “We want Ghana to compete again; not just today, but for generations to come.”
With Schäfer’s experience guiding the technical direction of Ghana’s football structure, and Addo overseeing the tactical execution on the pitch, there’s a growing sense of optimism that Ghana’s long-awaited football renaissance is finally underway.
