Black Stars assistant coach Roger De Sa has revealed the enormous challenges the technical team faced during Ghana’s journey to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, explaining how the coaches were forced to rebuild a struggling national team while racing against time to prepare for football’s biggest tournament.
De Sa served as one of Carlos Queiroz’s assistant coaches after joining the Black Stars technical staff shortly before the World Cup. The experienced South African coach became part of a new management team that was brought in after the dismissal of Otto Addo.
Although the coaching staff had only a limited amount of time to work with the players, they managed to guide Ghana into the knockout stage before the team’s campaign ended in the Round of 32.
Looking back on the tournament, De Sa has shared details about the demanding work that took place behind the scenes, revealing the difficulties involved in rebuilding confidence, scouting players across Europe and assembling the final World Cup squad.
A Team Going Through Difficult Times
According to Roger De Sa, the first challenge the new technical team faced was taking charge of a national side that had lost confidence after a poor run of results. When Carlos Queiroz and his staff arrived, the Black Stars were struggling after suffering six consecutive defeats.
The losing streak had created pressure around the team and affected the confidence of both players and supporters. For the new coaching staff, restoring belief became the immediate priority.
Instead of focusing only on tactics, they first had to change the team’s mentality and help the players regain confidence before the World Cup. Speaking on 947’s MSW, De Sa explained how serious the situation was when they arrived.
“I think when you are coaching, you’re always going to get different challenges along the way, and firstly for us was taking over a team which had gone six defeats in a row; I think that was the biggest challenge straight away,” De Sa said.
His comments highlight the difficult environment the coaches inherited only weeks before one of the biggest tournaments in world football.
Changing the Mentality
For Roger De Sa and the rest of the technical staff, improving results alone was not enough. The coaches understood that they also had to rebuild the players’ confidence and change the atmosphere around the national team.
After losing six matches in succession, confidence had naturally fallen within the squad. The technical team therefore focused on creating a more positive environment where players could believe in themselves again. According to De Sa, developing a winning mentality became the first objective.
“We were like, ‘we have to turn it around.’ Objective number one would be to get a bit of a winning mentality, not a losing mentality.”
Changing a team’s mentality in such a short period is never easy, especially at international level where players spend limited time together. Despite those difficulties, the coaches worked hard to restore belief before the tournament began.
A Race Against Time
The Black Stars coaching staff also faced another major obstacle. Time was not on their side. Having been appointed only weeks before the World Cup, there was little opportunity to organise long training camps or build relationships with the players.
Instead, the coaches had to make important decisions very quickly while continuing preparations for the tournament.
Every day became valuable as they attempted to understand the strengths of the squad and identify the players capable of representing Ghana on the world stage. The limited preparation time increased the pressure on everyone involved.
Travelling Across Europe
Roger De Sa also revealed the demanding travel schedule he undertook while helping to select Ghana’s World Cup squad.
Rather than remaining in Ghana, he spent most of his time travelling across Europe to watch potential players. The assistant coach explained that his stay in Accra lasted only a few days before beginning an extensive scouting mission.
“I left here, and I basically spent three days in Accra, and that was it. I got the next flight to Europe and spent the next four weeks travelling from club to club, match to match, whenever the Ghanaian players were playing,” he said.
His comments provide an insight into the enormous amount of work that took place behind the scenes before the World Cup.
Instead of preparing on the training pitch, much of the early work involved watching players perform for their clubs across different countries.
Watching Players Everywhere
The scouting process involved much more than simply attending matches. Roger De Sa explained that the coaching staff also observed training sessions whenever possible.
By watching players in different environments, the coaches hoped to gain a better understanding of each footballer’s current form, fitness and attitude.
This information played an important role in helping the technical team decide who deserved a place in the final World Cup squad. According to De Sa, the process demanded significant effort and careful evaluation.
“I watched players, sometimes training, so it was a massive mission to eventually come to your final 26 players, that was a massive challenge on its own. With the injuries that we had, that brought up another challenge.” Selecting the right squad became even more complicated because of injuries affecting several players.
Injuries Added More Problems
As preparations continued, injuries created another obstacle for the coaching staff. Several players experienced fitness issues before and during the tournament, forcing the coaches to constantly review their plans.
Whenever a player became unavailable, the technical team had to consider possible replacements while ensuring the squad remained balanced.
Managing injuries is a common challenge in football, but doing so shortly before a World Cup can be especially difficult.
For De Sa and his colleagues, every injury meant another important decision had to be made under significant pressure. Despite these setbacks, the coaches eventually finalised the squad and prepared for the tournament.
Ghana’s World Cup Campaign
The Black Stars entered the 2026 FIFA World Cup hoping to make a positive impression after a difficult period. Under Carlos Queiroz and his technical staff, Ghana showed signs of improvement during the tournament.
The team managed to progress beyond the group stage after finishing third in Group L behind England and Croatia. That achievement secured a place in the Round of 32.
Although Ghana’s World Cup journey ended with defeat to Colombia, reaching the knockout stage represented progress after the difficult circumstances surrounding the team’s preparation. The campaign also provided valuable experience for many members of the squad.
Queiroz’s Future Still Unclear
Attention has now turned to the future of head coach Carlos Queiroz. The Portuguese manager signed a four month contract shortly before the World Cup after replacing Otto Addo.
His agreement is expected to expire in August. At the moment, uncertainty remains regarding whether he will continue leading the Black Stars beyond that period.
The Ghana Football Association is expected to review the team’s performances before making any long term decision. Until that process is completed, questions about the future of the coaching staff are likely to continue.
Looking Back on a Difficult Assignment
Roger De Sa’s reflections offer supporters a clearer understanding of the demanding work carried out behind the scenes before Ghana’s World Cup campaign.
Taking charge of a struggling team, rebuilding confidence, travelling across Europe to assess players, selecting the final squad and dealing with injuries all formed part of an intense preparation period.
Although the Black Stars were unable to progress beyond the Round of 32, De Sa’s comments demonstrate that the technical team faced numerous obstacles from the moment they accepted the job.
For the coaches, the World Cup was not simply about preparing for matches. It was also about rebuilding a national team under enormous pressure and within a very limited amount of time.
Those experiences will remain an important part of Ghana’s football story as the Black Stars begin preparing for the next chapter in their international journey.
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