The Black Stars have strengthened their technical bench with the addition of experienced Portuguese goalkeeping coach Daniel Gaspar, who will take up a key role ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
His current club, Hartford Athletic, confirmed his departure as he links up with Ghana’s newly assembled coaching setup headed by Carlos Queiroz.
The appointment reunites Gaspar with Queiroz, a professional partnership that stretches back to 1992. Over the decades, the pair have worked together across multiple national teams and club assignments, establishing one of football’s most consistent coaching collaborations.
Gaspar brings a wealth of experience in goalkeeper development, having served in several capacities with the Portugal national team during the early 1990s and again between 2009 and 2010, where he was involved with various youth squads. He has also worked internationally with the South Africa national team and held club roles at Sporting CP, Nagoya Grampus Eight, and the NY/NJ MetroStars.
In 2003, he was part of Portugal’s technical team under Luiz Felipe Scolari, focusing on goalkeeping duties, before later joining Benfica under José António Camacho. His long-standing collaboration with Queiroz also includes a spell with the Iran national team in 2011, where he contributed as both assistant coach and goalkeepers’ trainer. During that period, Iran secured qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and reached the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.
Since his arrival at Hartford Athletic in 2022, Gaspar has played a central role in the club’s development, helping guide them through two of their strongest campaigns in 2024 and 2025. His influence was further underlined last season when the team lifted its first major honour by winning the USL Jägermeister Cup. In the current campaign, Hartford have managed four clean sheets in seven matches.
Gaspar now shifts his focus to the Ghana project as the Black Stars prepare for their fifth appearance on football’s biggest stage.
Ghana have been drawn in Group L alongside England, Croatia, and Panama. Their World Cup journey begins on June 17 against Panama, followed by a clash with England on June 23 and a final group fixture against Croatia on June 27.
Carlos Queiroz has been tasked with steering Ghana beyond the group stage, aiming to improve on early exits recorded in the 2014 and 2022 editions of the tournament.
