Black Meteors coach Desmond Ofei has dismissed claims that he rarely watches domestic games to scout players, insisting scouting does not depend solely on attending matches in person.

Ghana step up preparations to face Libya in the second round of the African qualifiers as they seek to return to the men’s football tournament at the Olympic Games for the first time since 2004.

Speaking to the media after watching Hearts of Oak’s win over Basake Holy Stars over the weekend, Ofei explained that the technical team works with other members, while the Ghana Football Association (GFA) also has scouts who help identify players for the national team.

He added that video scouting and extensive background work also inform their decision, adding that they believe it has selected the best players available for its current needs.

“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 scheduled to travel to Libya for the first leg of the second-round tie during the November 2026 international window, with the return fixture to be played at home.

The Black Meteors are seeking to end a 24-year wait for an Olympic appearance.