Former Ghana international, Godwin Attram, believes the Black Stars have already shown enough tactical discipline and organisation under Carlos Queiroz to suggest they can navigate a difficult FIFA World Cup group campaign, provided Queiroz remains firm in his selections and sticks to a clear game plan despite the absence of several key players.
While many supporters remain concerned about Ghana’s ability to dominate possession and impose themselves on matches, Attram insists the more important takeaway from last week’s 1-1 draw against Wales in Cardiff was the emergence of a team with a clear identity and a coach with a workable plan.
Speaking on Graphic Digital’s Soccer Chatlive last Friday, Attram — owner and head coach of Division One side, Attram De Visser FC — analysed Ghana’s performance in the recent friendly against Wales, assessed the impact of injuries on key players and outlined how the Black Stars can maximise the strengths of influential figures such as Thomas Partey and Antoine Semenyo.
Positive outlook
“What I saw against Wales was encouraging,” said Attram, who captained the Black Starlets to win silver at the 1997 U-17 FIFA World Cup and later featured for the Black Stars.
We saw a team with a clear strategy. We defended well and, although our attacking transitions needed improvement, the coach identified the problem and made effective adjustments,” he pointed out. The former PSV Eindhoven youth star, who later played professional football in Tunisia, Denmark and Saudi Arabia, was particularly impressed by Ghana’s defensive structure, highlighting the team’s disciplined medium block and organised pressing triggers as evidence that Queiroz’s ideas are already taking shape after less than three months in charge.
Against Wales, Ghana rarely looked exposed despite the absence of influential centre-backs, Mohammed Salisu and Alexander Djiku.
Instead, Ghana’s Portuguese Black Stars deployed youngsters, Jonas Adjetey and Jerome Opoku, who remained compact in central defence, forcing their opponents into difficult areas before attempting to regain possession and launch attacks.