Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz has praised his players for adapting well and working together as the Black Stars get ready for their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Panama on Wednesday night.
The five-time African champions are playing in their fifth World Cup and will begin their Group L campaign at BMO Field. The match against Panama will kick off at 23:00 GMT.
Speaking to the media before the game, the 73-year-old coach said he was pleased with how the players have responded to his ideas and style of football. He also spoke about the different football backgrounds within the squad.
“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.
“And then it has to combine with local ideas to create an identity for our game. 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.”
He said building strong relationships and understanding among the players has been a key part of Ghana’s preparations.
“The connection has been the most important aspect that we’ve been able to work on in this short time that we’ve had together,” said Queiroz, who is leading a team at the World Cup for the fifth time.
“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’s opening game against Panama has attracted a lot of attention as the Black Stars look to make a strong start to their World Cup campaign.
After playing Panama, Ghana will face England at Gillette Stadium on June 23 before ending their Group L matches against Croatia on June 27.
The Black Stars are hoping to reach the knockout stage for the first time since their memorable run to the quarter-finals at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
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