Technical Advisor of the Black Stars and Director of Football at the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Winfried Schaefer, has explained that his appointment was prompted by a direct request from the GFA President to help stabilise and restructure Ghana football.

Speaking in an interview with German outlet Sächsische Zeitung and sighted by JoySports, the 75-year-old football expert said the call to serve came amid growing concern over the performance of the national team and a lack of cohesion across football structures in the country.

“The team had missed the Africa Cup—something considered a catastrophe in Ghana,” Schaefer said. “There was unrest in the squad, World Cup qualification wasn’t going well, and the president of the federation asked me to come in and bring some structure.”

Schaefer, who has worked with national teams such as Cameroon and Jamaica, noted that his focus in Ghana is not on coaching from the sidelines, but on providing long-term technical guidance and rebuilding confidence in the national setup. He works closely with Black Stars head coach Otto Addo.

“It’s not about being a guru,” he noted. “But I’ve been around long enough to know what works in African football.”

Appointed following Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and amid a difficult start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Schaefer is overseeing efforts to unify Ghana’s fragmented football ecosystem and develop sustainable football systems.

“There’s still a lot of work to do,” he said. “The real challenge is to implement sustainable football projects within Ghana. I’m still looking for international partners who can support us. But I’m optimistic.”

In his dual role as Technical Advisor and Director of Football, Schaefer is tasked with enhancing team structure, advising on national team development, and strengthening technical direction across all levels of Ghana football.