Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku has defended Carlos Queiroz’s approach at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, arguing that the Portuguese coach had too little time to impose his preferred style on the Black Stars.
Queiroz signed a short-term deal in April to replace Otto Addo ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America. The GFA has since confirmed that the former Manchester United assistant coach will remain in charge of the team ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
Under Queiroz, Ghana reached the knockout phase of the World Cup for the first time since 2010 but were eliminated by Colombia in the Round of 32.
In an interview with 3Sports, Okraku challenged the long-standing emphasis on playing attractive football, arguing that Ghana’s preferred style over the years has not translated into the success the country expects.
“47 years or 45 years, style has not taken us anywhere. That’s the truth. People hate it when I speak like this,” he said.
Okraku noted that Ghana has not won the Africa Cup of Nations during that period, using the lack of major success to question whether style should take precedence over results.
“But style has not brought us to the AFCON. We’ve not won it,” he added.
The GFA President, however, acknowledged criticisms of Ghana’s playing style but noted that the team showed glimpses of its potential, particularly during the defeat to Croatia.
“The man took over the team, barely two months to the World Cup. Had to scout 24 hours a day, had to put a squad together, had to develop the right strategy. It was not an easy call, to be honest,” he stated.
According to Okraku, Ghana enjoyed a spell of dominance against Croatia, highlighting the Black Stars’ ability to control the game under Queiroz.
“When we played against Croatia, even though we lost, there were moments in this game that Croatia could not even come out of the box, out of their third of the pitch, and we pinned them. That was Ghana being in control of that game in that period.”
Okraku further suggested that Queiroz’s approach could evolve if he is given more time to work with the team and a different pool of players.
“Over time, if the same person has a chance to work again with the team, with different players, under different circumstances, maybe the style may be different, the approach may be different.”
The GFA President also argued that Queiroz demonstrated tactical flexibility during the tournament, pointing to the contrasting approaches against England and Colombia.
“What did you make of the style against Colombia? Was it the same as the style against England? My answer is no. Did we get the desired result from England? The answer is yes. Did we get the desired result from Colombia? The answer is no.”
“What do we want as a people?” he questioned.
Following his contract extension, Queiroz’s first assignment will be the start of Ghana’s AFCON qualifying campaign later this month.
The Black Stars will travel to Bouaké to face Côte d’Ivoire at the Stade de la Paix on September 24 before hosting The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium three days later.
Having failed to qualify for the previous AFCON finals in Morocco, Ghana will be eager to avoid another disappointment and secure a return to Africa’s biggest football tournament.
