Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz expressed pride in his players’ discipline and commitment despite a late setback in their international friendly against Wales, describing the performance as a strong step forward for his side.
In what proved to be a lively and competitive encounter, Ghana appeared on course for victory before conceding in the closing stages, forcing them to settle for a draw. While the result left a sense of frustration, Queiroz focused on the positives, particularly how his players executed the tactical plan.
“I asked the players to do a couple of things against Wales, and what pleased me a lot was the way they answered to my instructions,” Queiroz said. “They followed, respected and trusted the game plan.”
The match, staged as part of Wales’ 150-year football celebrations, delivered an entertaining spectacle for supporters, with both teams adopting an attacking approach throughout.
“First of all, I think it was a very exciting and very good match,” he noted. “This was Wales’ goal — to celebrate their history — and I think the fans must be happy with what they saw. Both teams tried to win. It was very active.”
Despite the late disappointment, Queiroz emphasized the importance of learning from such moments, particularly in managing games when in a winning position.
“I’m very proud of my players. They gave everything to win the game. We let it slip in the last minutes — it was in our pocket,” he admitted. “But this is also time to learn. We don’t learn from the draw itself, but we learn that when we are winning 1-0, there is no way we can let it slip.”
The Portuguese tactician also pointed to the limited preparation time and the fact that several players were featuring together for the first time, suggesting that cohesion will improve with more time on the training ground.
“We did good things, and I was happy with the performance,” he added. “Some players were playing together for the first time. We must remember this was only the first full training session with the whole team together.”
Looking ahead, Queiroz struck an optimistic tone as Ghana turn their attention to their next assignment.
“Congratulations to my players. We just need to keep working hard. We are ready for the main match against Panama,” he concluded.
