Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz has praised the willingness of his players to embrace new ideas and work together as the Black Stars complete preparations for their opening match of the 2026 World Cup against Panama.
The Group L encounter will take place at BMO Field in Toronto on Wednesday, marking the start of Ghana’s latest campaign on football’s biggest stage.
Speaking on the eve of the match, Queiroz highlighted the challenge of bringing together players from different footballing backgrounds and creating a unified approach within a limited period of time.
“We’ve got the task of connecting players that have a French philosophy of the game with those who have English and Spanish ones,” said Queiroz.
The Portuguese coach explained that blending those influences into a single team identity had been one of his primary objectives since taking charge.
“And then it has to combine with local ideas to create an identity for our game,” he added. “It has not been easy, but it’s been very rewarding to do because our players have been very cooperative.
“They’ve been very open. They’ve been seeking to participate in the construction of a very strong team.”
Queiroz was appointed in April following the dismissal of Otto Addo, who had overseen Ghana’s successful qualification campaign through the African confederation pathway for teams affiliated with tournament organisers Fifa.
Despite having only a short period to work with the squad, the experienced coach believes significant progress has been made, particularly in building understanding and unity among the players.
“The connection has been the most important aspect that we’ve been able to work in this short time that we’ve had together,” said Queiroz, who is managing a team at the World Cup for the fifth time.
The 73-year-old said he had been encouraged by the response of the squad during preparations and pointed to the growing sense of togetherness within the camp.
“I am quite pleased because the team has responded well. They’re very cohesive. They’re very well integrated. We have a compact team.”
Ghana begin their tournament against Panama before facing England in their second Group L fixture at the Boston Stadium on 23 June.
Their group-stage campaign concludes four days later with a meeting against Croatia in Philadelphia on 27 June.
The Black Stars are appearing at the World Cup for the fifth time and will be aiming to improve on recent performances at the tournament.
Their most successful World Cup campaign came in South Africa in 2010 when they progressed to the quarter-finals, becoming only the third African nation to reach the last eight of the competition.
However, Ghana have not advanced beyond the group phase since that memorable run and will be hoping that the unity and identity being forged under Queiroz can help them make a deeper impact this time around.
For now, the focus remains on Panama and ensuring Ghana make a positive start to their World Cup journey. With a squad drawn from a variety of football cultures and experiences, Queiroz believes the foundations have been laid for a competitive and closely connected team capable of representing the nation on the global stage.
As the tournament gets under way, the coach’s confidence in the squad’s adaptability and collective spirit will be tested against Panama, the first hurdle in a challenging group that also includes England and Croatia.
