Black Stars: Assistant coach Desmond Ofei confident in squad assembled for Mexico friendly
Black Stars deputy coach Desmond Ofei says he is optimistic about Ghana’s squad ahead of their upcoming international friendly against Mexico later this month.
The Black Stars, under head coach Carlos Queiroz, have named a 23-man squad for the fixture scheduled for May 22, which includes six locally based players as part of preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Speaking in an interview with Flashscore, Ofei praised the blend of youth and experience in the squad, highlighting the opportunity the match presents for emerging talents.
“For the upcoming game against Mexico, we have selected a very talented and ambitious group of players from our local league, alongside some exciting U23 talents and players who are highly motivated to show their qualities to the nation and to our new head coach, Mr Carlos Queiroz,” Ofei said.
The inclusion of six home-based players—Salim Adams, Razak Simpson, Ebenezer Abban, Ebenezer Adade, Solomon Agbasi, and Benjamin Asare, who replaces Dreams FC goalkeeper Gidios Aseako—has attracted significant attention as Ghana continue to fine-tune their squad.
Ofei believes the friendly will serve as a key test for the team against strong opposition while also helping the technical staff assess squad depth ahead of upcoming assignments.
The match will also mark an early milestone in Carlos Queiroz’s tenure as Ghana’s head coach.
The Black Stars are expected to travel to Mexico in the coming days as preparations intensify, before facing Wales on June 2 in their final warm-up match.