GFA Confirms Baffoe Exit From Black Stars Coach Search

The Ghana Football Association has confirmed Anthony Baffoe has withdrawn from the Black Stars coaching search committee ahead of crucial AFCON qualifiers.

According to a report published by ModernGhana on October 21, 2026, former Ghana international Anthony Baffoe has withdrawn from the committee tasked with finding a new head coach for the Black Stars, the Ghana Football Association has confirmed. GFA Communications Director Henry Asante Twum said committee chairman Fred Pappoe informed the association’s Executive Council of Baffoe’s decision at a meeting last Thursday. Baffoe was appointed to the five-member committee alongside former Black Stars captain Stephen Appiah, legal practitioner Agbesi Dzakpasu and high-performance specialist Faisal Chibsah, with Pappoe serving as chairman. The committee was established jointly by the GFA and the Ministry of Sports and Recreation following the departure of Carlos Queiroz after Ghana’s disappointing start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

According to a report published by ModernGhana on October 21, 2026, former Ghana Football Association Technical Director Francis Oti Akenteng says local coaches are capable of managing the Black Stars and should be given greater consideration for the national team job. His comments follow the appointment of Swedish trainer Kim Lars Bjorkegren as interim coach of the Black Stars while the search for a substantive head coach continues. Bjorkegren will be assisted by Ibrahim Tanko and Godwin Attram, with former Ghana goalkeeper Fatawu Dauda serving as goalkeepers’ coach for the upcoming 2027 AFCON qualifiers against Somalia next month. The decision by the GFA and the Ministry of Sports and Recreation to appoint an interim technical team without a Ghanaian head coach has attracted criticism from sections of the public, with concerns raised about the treatment of local coaches.

According to a report published by GhanaSoccerNet on October 21, 2026, former Black Queens head coach Bashiru Hayford has described the Black Stars’ interim coaching appointments as dangerous and surprising. Following the departure of Carlos Queiroz, the Ghana Football Association has settled on Black Queens coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren as the interim manager for the November international break matches against Somalia. He will be assisted by Medeama coach Ibrahim Tanko and former Ghana international Godwin Attram for the double-header. The Black Stars made a disappointing start to the qualifiers, succumbing to a 2-0 away defeat to Ivory Coast before falling short to The Gambia 4-2 at the Accra Sports Stadium. After two matches in Group C, the West Africa football giants find themselves bottom without a single point.

According to a report published by Prime News Ghana on October 22, 2026, the Black Starlets suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in the semi-finals of the 2026 WAFU Zone B U-17 Championship on Tuesday, ending their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 U-17 AFCON in Morocco. The defeat ends the Black Starlets’ hopes of reaching the final and securing qualification for the 2027 U-17 AFCON. Ghana will now shift their attention to the third-place playoff against the loser of the Niger-Burkina Faso clash.

This report is based on verified publications by ModernGhana on October 21, 2026, ModernGhana on October 21, 2026, GhanaSoccerNet on October 21, 2026, and Prime News Ghana on October 22, 2026.

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