Kofi Adams believes the Black Stars might have advanced further if Carlos Queiroz had been given additional time.
Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams is of the opinion that the Black Stars could have secured a more favorable outcome at the 2026 FIFA World Cup had head coach Carlos Queiroz been appointed sooner.
The seasoned Portuguese manager was named as Otto Addo's replacement in April, just weeks prior to Ghana's involvement in the prestigious tournament, which left him with minimal time to prepare the squad.
Mr. Adams noted that despite the limited preparation time, Queiroz was able to enhance the team's performances, achieving results that surpassed the expectations of many fans.
In an interview with Joy News, the Minister elaborated that Ghana's lackluster performance in friendly matches before Queiroz's arrival led to skepticism regarding the Black Stars' prospects at the World Cup.
The team faced challenges in their pre-tournament training, prompting many supporters to doubt whether Ghana could hold their own against some of the globe's top teams.
However, Mr. Adams observed a noticeable improvement in the squad under Queiroz's leadership, pointing out enhanced organization, tactical discipline, and competitiveness in Ghana's performances.
Reflecting on the defeats experienced during their friendly matches after qualification, he stated that confidence was low. He indicated that observing the new coach Carlos's strategies in friendlies against Wales, along with the performances against Panama, England, and Croatia, made it evident that with more time, significantly better results could have been achieved.
I do not believe the coach performed poorly. I am convinced that had we entrusted him with managing nearly all our friendlies, even after qualification, we would have seen far superior outcomes than we did.
The Minister remarked that expectations were tempered among Ghanaians before the tournament based on the team's prior showings, with many fans fearing the Black Stars would find it challenging to make a significant impact.
Ghana, making their fifth World Cup appearance, kicked off their campaign positively with a 1-0 win against Panama.
The Black Stars then achieved a scoreless draw against England before falling 2-1 to Croatia in their final Group L match.
Despite finishing third in their group, Ghana progressed to the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams but were eliminated in the Round of 32 after a 1-0 loss to Colombia, with Jhon Arias netting the sole goal of the encounter.
With the World Cup journey now concluded, Ghana will shift their focus to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, where they have been placed in Group C alongside Côte d'Ivoire, Somalia, and The Gambia. The qualification process is anticipated to commence in September.