Otto Addo, the head coach of the Black Stars, expressed confidence in his newly assembled backroom team, emphasising their collective ability to enhance the team's performance during his tenure.
Last week marked the beginning of work for Coach Addo and his assistants—Joseph Laumann, John Paintsil and Fatawu Dauda—during the team's training camp in Marrakech, Morocco, in preparation for friendly matches against Nigeria and Uganda.
In an interview, the 48-year-old coach revealed his familiarity with his first assistant, Laumann, from their time in Germany. He highlighted the German-Moroccan's expertise and trusted his insights into the game, considering him instrumental in the technical team's decision-making process.
Laumann, boasting a UEFA pro-license, brings a wealth of experience from his coaching stints with reputable Belgium clubs such as Standard Liege, VfL Bochum of Germany, and Barnsley in the English championship.
Coach Addo's bond with Paintsil dates back to their playing days together in the national team, including their participation in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Paintsil, who previously served as an assistant coach at Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa, holds a CAF Licence B coaching certification.
Regarding Dauda, the newly appointed goalkeepers' trainer, Coach Otto Addo, recalled their acquaintance during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where Dauda was the team's first choice goalie while he [Otto Addo] worked as a scout for the Black Stars technical team.
“First of all, I knew all of them before the job. I played together with John but Fatawu I got to know him during the 2014 World Cup, and it is really nice to get together and to share our ideas and also to see that it is fixed,” he said.
“Joe (Joseph Laumann), I know him from Germany and he is absolutely an expert. He has really good eyes for a situation, to react fast but also very attentive to any kind of thing which is destructive and at the same time attentive to things which can help to develop the group and the team. It's a very important input from all of them.
It's really good to have them and I can feel that last four days they really helped me and the team to improve and this is what we want,” Otto added.
Last Friday, Ghana lost 1-2 against Nigeria in a friendly in Morocco. Tomorrow, Coach Otto Addo will lead the Black Stars in their second friendly match, an integral part of Ghana's preparations for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers scheduled for June.
