Former Ghana defender Anthony Baffoe has advised the Black Stars technical team to focus on a disciplined and compact tactical setup ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Ghana booked a place at the mundial, which will be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico in an expanded 48-nation competition. The four-time African champions face a difficult Group L challenge against England, Croatia and Panama.
The Black Stars will begin their campaign against Panama before facing England and 2018 runners-up Croatia in their remaining group fixtures.
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Speaking to Citi Sports, Baffoe stressed that Ghana must adapt its style to suit the current crop of players rather than relying on the dominant football identity of previous generations.
“We all wish the players good luck, and for me, the coach should have the adequate formation in regards to the players he has. I don’t think we are the Ghana like some years back that we play dominant football. I believe that we have to be compact and use the players accordingly.
How do we put, for instance, Antoine Semenyo who had a fantastic season in the Premier League appropriately? How do we use Jordan Ayew? I’m just mentioning names appropriately. So for me, I think we should play very, very compactly because the intensity is going to be very, very high.
But once again, fully behind the coach, the technical team and the players. We are Ghanaians, we always remain Ghanaians. Sometimes we are not happy, but as soon as the World Cup starts kicking off, we are 100% behind the team,” he said.
Baffoe’s remarks come as head coach Carlos Queiroz continues preparations with the squad in Cardiff ahead of Ghana’s international friendly against Wales on June 2.
Training sessions are currently taking place at Dragon Park, where the technical team is assessing player fitness levels and tactical options before finalising the squad for the tournament.
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The Black Stars are expected to remain in Wales for a week before travelling to the United States for the next stage of their World Cup preparations.
Queiroz is likely to use the friendly fixtures to fine-tune his system and make final decisions on the 26-man squad that will represent Ghana at the tournament.
Ghana will head into the competition aiming to better their historic quarterfinal finish achieved at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, having also featured at the global showpiece in 2006, 2014 and 2022.
