Ghana name two ex-PSL players for Addo’s technical team

Ghana have re-appointed Otto Addo as their new coach following the sacking of Chris Hughton at the end of the dismal first round exit at the Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast earlier this year and there is a distinct Premier Soccer League feel to his backroom staff.

Addo is to take over the reins permanently in May but will take charge of friendlies against Nigeria and Uganda in Morocco this month having led Ghana at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

He has been tasked with taking the Black Stars to the 2026 finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada, and will have some familiar faces for PSL fans helping him along the way.

Former Orlando Pirates and Chippa United gloveman Fatau Dauda will be in charge of looking after the keepers, having only recently taken over as Sudan goalkeeper coach in October last year.

The 38-year-old retired in 2022 but has immediately earned himself a plum coaching role with the national team.

Former Santos and Maritzburg United defender John Paintsil, who spend a year as Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach under Steve Komphela in 2016/17, has been named as Addo’s right-hand man along with Joseph Laumann.

Paintsil also spent six years in England with West Ham United, Fulham and Leicester City, but finished his career in South Africa, initially with Santos in the second-tier.

Should Ghana come up against Bafana Bafana in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in the next few years, they will be well-equipped to do so.

Addo first took over as coach of Ghana in February 2022 when the Serb Milovan Rajevac was sacked. They beat South Korea at the World Cup but finished bottom of their pool and he left immediately afterwards.

His immediate goal will be to get Ghana's 2026 World Cup qualification campaign back on track.

They beat Madagascar 1-0 in their opener but lost by the same scoreline to Comoros.

Ghana are scheduled to be away to Mali and home to Central African Republic in their next two qualifiers in June.