Kurt Okraku: More scouting time could have changed Ghana's 2026 World Cup squad

Ghana Football Association (GFA) president Kurt Okraku says Black Stars coach Carlos Queiroz may have selected a different squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup if he had been given more time to assess the country's player pool.

Queiroz guided Ghana to the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time since 2010, but the Black Stars' campaign ended in the Round of 32 following a 1-0 defeat by Colombia.

Speaking to 3Sports, Okraku suggested the Portuguese coach's limited preparation period may have influenced his player selections for the tournament.

"I did say that I am sure that if this man had more time to scout, to get to know the Ghanaian players and to pick his players, maybe he wouldn't have picked the same players he picked for the World Cup," Okraku said.

The GFA president also reiterated his belief that Ghana's football identity is built on technical quality, creativity and attacking play.

"The Ghanaian style is that simple style of allowing your players to show their technical ability on the ball, their dribbling skills, their passing ability, their high level of technique on the ball," he said.

Okraku argued that such qualities have traditionally enabled Ghanaian teams to break down opponents and entertain supporters, suggesting the Black Stars did not fully showcase those attributes during the tournament.

"These kinds of qualities are the ones that will unlock defenders and allow attacking machinery to be very effective. So what you saw obviously was somebody who said a limited edition of what is possible," he added.

Despite his observations, Okraku stressed that every coach must be allowed to select players who best fit their tactical approach.

"But in the end, all of us come together, and we say that this is the coach. And he picks the kind of players that he wants to pick. He thinks about his philosophy, the players that suit his philosophy, and he deploys them."

He also acknowledged that perceptions of Queiroz's methods would likely have been different had Ghana progressed further in the competition.

"I'm sure if we had won against Colombia, if we had gone to the next stage, and maybe in the semifinals, this wouldn't be a topic. We'll say that he played dirty, but won the games for us," Okraku said.

Reflecting on the unpredictable nature of the sport, he added: "Football is that singular activity that one plus one is never two."

Ghana opened their World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama before holding England to a goalless draw. A 2-1 defeat to Croatia in their final group match saw the Black Stars advance as one of the best third-placed teams before their elimination by Colombia.

Meanwhile, Queiroz has been retained as Ghana head coach after reaching an agreement with the GFA and the Ministry of Sports ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

His first assignment under the new deal will be this month's qualifying fixtures against Côte d'Ivoire and The Gambia. Ghana travel to Bouaké to face the Ivorians on 24 September before hosting The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium three days later.

After missing out on qualification for the previous AFCON finals in Morocco, the Black Stars will be aiming to secure an immediate return to Africa's premier football tournament.