Olympic Games Qualifiers: Desmond Ofei defends Black Meteors scouting methods amid criticism

Black Meteors coach Desmond Ofei has defended his approach to scouting domestic players, dismissing suggestions that he rarely attends Ghana Premier League matches to identify talent for the national team.

Ofei said player selection was not dependent solely on physical attendance at match venues, explaining that the technical team also relies on video analysis, background research and scouts working with the Ghana Football Association (GFA).

The coach was speaking to the media after watching Hearts of Oak’s victory over Basake Holy Stars over the weekend, as Ghana intensify preparations for their second-round tie against Libya in the African qualifiers for the 2028 Olympic Games.

Ofei said he was not the only member of the technical team responsible for identifying players, pointing to the contributions of his assistants, Yaw Preko and Mallam Nuru, as well as the GFA’s scouting network.

“Everybody has their opinions in football, and I don’t need to announce myself at the match venues I visit. I am not the only person in the technical team; we have others like Yaw Preko and Mallam Nuru,” he said.

“We have scouts in the FA who do scouting for us. We also do a lot of video scouting as well. So we don’t necessarily have to be at the venues to see the players that we need to see, but we have done enough homework to pick the best players to help us. We believe we have the best players to help us at the moment.”

Ghana are preparing to face Libya in a two-legged second-round qualifying tie, with the first leg scheduled to take place away from home during the November 2026 international window before the return fixture in Ghana.

The Black Meteors are aiming to qualify for the men’s football tournament at the Olympic Games for the first time since Athens 2004, when Ghana reached the quarter-finals.

The qualifiers represent another opportunity for Ghana to return to the Olympic stage, with Ofei and his technical team under pressure to assemble a squad capable of navigating the challenge against Libya and keeping the country’s hopes alive.