Ghana assistant coach Roger de Sa says the Black Stars treated their opening match against Panama at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as their “cup final”, believing it would determine their entire campaign.
De Sa, one of Carlos Queiroz’s senior lieutenants on the technical bench, revealed that the staff identified the first Group L fixture as the key to their hopes of reaching the knockout phase, ahead of daunting meetings with England and Croatia.
“We always regarded the opening game against Panama as our cup final,” De Sa told Flashscore. “In a group also containing England and Croatia, it was the game we felt we had to win to have a successful World Cup.”
Panama win seen as route to knockouts
With England and Croatia expected to be the heavyweight challengers in the section, the coaching team decided against planning too far into the tournament and instead focused their preparation on beating Panama.
Rather than spreading their attention evenly across all three group opponents, De Sa explained that the staff were convinced the Panama match would shape Ghana’s chances of progressing.
That approach was vindicated when Ghana claimed a dramatic victory over Panama in their opener, collecting three crucial points that immediately strengthened their position in Group L.
De Sa said the result had a transformative effect on the camp, easing anxiety within the squad and changing the mood around the team.
“That result relieved some pressure and gave us the belief that we could qualify for the second round, which was our main objective,” he added.
Target reached despite early knockout exit
The Black Stars went on to achieve that primary target, advancing from the group and booking a place in the knockout stage of the tournament.
De Sa highlighted the qualification from Group L as evidence of the side’s discipline and organisation, crediting both the players and the backroom team for executing their tactical plan.
Ghana’s run was eventually halted by Colombia in the Round of 32, where they suffered a narrow defeat that brought their World Cup journey to an end.
Despite that exit, De Sa believes the team’s overall performance aligned with the realistic expectations they had set before arriving at the tournament, particularly given the strength of their group opponents.
Focus on realism under Queiroz
For De Sa, the campaign underlined the value of clear, achievable targets at a major finals, rather than being distracted by the reputations of countries such as England and Croatia.
He suggested that the decision to focus on what Ghana could directly control – starting with the must-win clash against Panama – was central to the side’s progress.
By treating the Panama game as decisive, the Black Stars created a psychological framework that allowed them to approach the rest of the tournament with greater belief and reduced pressure, once that initial hurdle had been cleared.
De Sa argued that the experience in 2026 showcased the strides made by Ghana under Carlos Queiroz and his staff, with the team combining mental resilience and tactical preparation to deliver a memorable World Cup campaign built around that pivotal opening victory.
