Former Ghana Football Association vice-president George Afriyie says Carlos Queiroz’s defensive approach did not suit Ghana’s traditional attacking identity at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Queiroz led the Black Stars to the Round of 32 for the first time since 2010, but Afriyie believes the team’s cautious style prevented Ghana from making full use of the attacking quality in their squad.
Speaking on Sporty FM, Afriyie questioned whether the Ghana Football Association’s technical leadership chose a coach whose tactical philosophy matched the country’s footballing identity.
His criticism centres on the way Ghana approached matches under Queiroz. Afriyie believes the team should have played with greater attacking intent, particularly because the squad contained a number of wingers and creative players capable of influencing games in the final third.
The former GFA vice-president also rejected the suggestion that selecting one striker automatically results in a defensive system. He cited former Black Stars forwards and midfielders Asamoah Gyan, Sulley Muntari and Kwadwo Asamoah as examples of players who were part of Ghana sides that played attacking football while using a lone centre-forward.
For Afriyie, the structure of the team was less important than the overall philosophy and the way players were encouraged to operate. He argued that a single-striker formation could still allow Ghana to be positive and adventurous if the players behind the forward were given the freedom to attack.
He also pointed to the make-up of Ghana’s 26-man World Cup squad. With several wingers and creative attackers included, Afriyie feels the Black Stars possessed the personnel required to adopt a more ambitious approach rather than relying primarily on defensive organisation.
Ghana’s campaign ended in the Round of 32 after a 1-0 defeat by Colombia. The Black Stars scored two goals across four matches before their elimination.
Although Ghana progressed to the knockout stage, Afriyie’s comments suggest that the result alone did not convince him that the team’s methods were appropriate. His concerns focus on the relationship between the coach’s tactical ideas and the attacking strengths traditionally associated with Ghana.
The Black Stars will now turn their attention to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Ghana will be seeking to return to the continental competition after missing the previous edition.
Afriyie’s assessment adds to the debate over how Ghana should build its team and choose its coaching direction, with the former GFA vice-president arguing that future technical decisions should take greater account of the country’s established attacking style.
