Just 10 short weeks ago, Ghana did not even have a head coach. Now, they have qualified for the knockout stages of a World Cup for the first time since 2010. The scale of that achievement is difficult to overstate. When Carlos Queiroz was hired to lead the Black Stars this summer, he took over a team reeling from Otto Addo’s reign, having failed to score in four of their six previous matches and conceded 13 goals in the process.
A Pragmatic Approach Pays Off
That form is not becoming of a World Cup contender. And yet, after recording a goalless draw with England, a dramatic late 1-0 win over Panama and suffering only a narrow 2-1 defeat by Croatia, here they are, booking flights to Kansas City to face Colombia in the last 32. Queiroz has succeeded in restoring Ghana to their roots as a once-great tournament team, reminiscent of that which reached the World Cup quarter-finals in South Africa and finished no worse than fourth at any Africa Cup of Nations between 2008 and 2017.
He has done so, really, in the only way he could. His pre-tournament preparations amounted to a sole friendly - a 1-1 draw with Wales in Cardiff. There has been no time for grand designs, it was do or die. Ghana’s approach to this tournament, by necessity, has been pragmatic and generally unexciting, but effective. Against Panama, they parked the bus, keeping the match level before pushing for a winner late on - and it worked. Facing England, they did the same and came away with a point.
Adapting on the Fly
Facing Croatia in just his fourth match with the Black Stars, though, Queiroz played his hand. Knowing Zlatko Dalic needed a win, his Ghana side were far more open and front-footed. Trailing at the break, he reshaped from a 4-3-3 into a 4-4-2, and Ghana created more than enough chances to put Croatia to the sword. “It was the first time that we play 4-4-2,” Queiroz said afterwards. “We didn't have time to work too much on this approach.”
The last-minute nature of Queiroz’s appointment has forced Ghana into a state of constant evolution. While tournament favourites such as France and Spain are polished, well-drilled sides with long-established chemistry, the Black Stars are learning on the fly, and the odds are that they will only get better. “At the end of the day, I start work with this team, [this was] my fourth game. I learn a lot in this game in terms of our progress,” Queiroz added.
Growing Pains and Potential
On balance of the Croatia match, there are more growing pains to come. Petar Sucic was not closed down before he lashed the opener home, moments after Nikola Vlasic had hit the post from a very similar position. Ghana failed to capitalise on their many scoring chances, and are yet to get the best out of Manchester City star Antoine Semenyo. Queiroz spotted “critical mistakes” en route to defeat and Jordan Ayew’s role as designated set-piece taker can be questioned.
But, every cloud. See the incisive passing of Jonas Adjetey, whose balls between the lines sliced Croatia open on multiple occasions. Consider Kamaldeen Sulemana’s quick feet, the fluid final-third overlaps and the electric cameo of Abdul Fatawu. There is an argument to be made that Queiroz’s selection is limiting his side - it is hard to understand why Fatawu, Ernest Nuamah and Caleb Yirenkyi are not in the starting XI - but the progress is undeniable. Underestimate Ghana at your peril.
Coventry forward Brandon Thomas-Asante will tell you as much: “There is a lot of fear from other teams of what we do on the counter, and that is not to be slept on.” So, Ghana’s target is set: “We want to make a statement to our fans back home. We want to make a new dawn of really going for it in tournaments, and being that powerhouse that we know that we are.”
