Croatia – Ghana: Carlos Queiroz's gamble on the verge of paying off as Black Stars can seal their World Cup 2026 renaissance

Just a fewer weeks ago, fewer would person listed Ghana among the pleasant surprises of this World Cup. Following an alarming mentation period, the federation had taken a extremist determination 10 weeks earlier the tournament, parting ways with Otto Addo and handing the Black Stars' destiny to Carlos Queiroz. It was a risky telephone – the experienced Portuguese manager had lone a fistful of weeks to enforce his methods.

Two World Cup matches later, the gamble is turning into a masterstroke. Following a triumph against Panama (1-0) and a prestigious gully against England (0-0), Ghana caput into Saturday evening's clash with Croatia connected 4 points. A gully should beryllium capable to publication their spot successful the past 32. Even a decision would permission them successful a beardown presumption to beforehand arsenic 1 of the champion third-placed sides.

World Cup 2026 – Group L

Carlos Queiroz has transformed Ghana
 

During March's friendlies against Austria and Germany – the results that sealed Otto Addo's destiny – the Black Stars conceded 7 goals crossed 2 matches. Today, they are among the fewer sides astatine this World Cup yet to concede a azygous extremity successful 2 outings.

Unsurprisingly, the hallmarks of Carlos Queiroz are plain to see.

Compact, disciplined, susceptible of defending heavy earlier striking connected the counter, this Ghana broadside resembles each squad the Portuguese manager has built passim his career. Against England, the Black Stars accepted agelong periods of suffering earlier increasing progressively unsafe arsenic the lucifer wore on.

"He told america we were going to endure but that we had to enactment compact and beryllium acceptable to instrumentality our chances," midfielder Kwasi Sibo said aft the match.

Full-back Gideon Mensah summed up his manager's doctrine conscionable arsenic neatly: "If sitting heavy and past scoring works for us, wherefore alteration it?"

Semenyo, awesome of sacrifice

The awesome of this translation is Antoine Semenyo.

The Black Stars' attacking prima -- peculiarly successful the lack of Mohammed Kudus – the Manchester City winger has spent astir of his World Cup truthful acold doing the other of what mightiness beryllium expected: defending. Against England, helium enactment successful repeated tracking runs and antiaircraft efforts to support his flank earlier pushing guardant whenever the accidental arose.

This civilization of sacrifice appears to beryllium the hallmark of Queiroz's Ghana.

Captain Jordan Ayew, present the most-capped subordinate successful Black Stars past with 122 appearances – surpassing his member Andre – has afloat embraced this corporate philosophy, placing his acquisition astatine the work of a radical that appears to person rediscovered its identity. The emotional, blonde-mohawked guardant who made his debut sixteen years agone has fixed mode to a focused, respected person among his younger team-mates.

Croatia basal betwixt Ghana and the adjacent round

Yet the hardest portion whitethorn inactive beryllium to come.

Croatia's cardinal figures whitethorn beryllium ageing, but they stay a hard hostile with a wealthiness of acquisition connected the biggest stages. Ghana, however, volition attack this fixture with a assurance they person not carried for immoderate time.

One statistic perfectly captures this team: crossed their archetypal 2 matches, the Black Stars did not effort a azygous changeable successful the archetypal half. All 9 of their efforts came aft the break. Only Costa Rica successful 1990 had shown the aforesaid signifier – and they went connected to scope the 2nd round.