{"id":119334,"date":"2026-05-21T14:02:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T14:02:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=119334"},"modified":"2026-05-21T14:02:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T14:02:20","slug":"black-stars-need-belief-not-rebuilding-assistant-coach-de-sa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=119334","title":{"rendered":"Black Stars need belief, not rebuilding \u2014 Assistant Coach De S\u00e1"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>4 Minute, 19 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>

Roger De S\u00e1 has thrown down an early warning to Ghana\u2019s World Cup rivals, insisting the Black Stars already possess the quality to trouble the world\u2019s elite.
\nHe insists the technical handlers\u2019 mission over the next few weeks is not to reinvent the team, but to forge cohesion and mentality capable of surviving football\u2019s biggest battlefield.<\/p>\n

The vastly experienced South African coach, appointed as assistant to veteran Portuguese tactician, Carlos Queiroz, for the 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, says Ghana\u2019s blend of European-based talent, hunger and football intelligence convinced him that the Black Stars could become one of the tournament\u2019s dangerous outsiders.
\n\u201cWe are not going to teach them how to play football,\u201d De S\u00e1 declared in an interview with the Ghana Football Association\u2019s Beyond the
\nWhistle podcast. \u201cThe talent is already there. We just have to put the players in the right positions, give them the right frame of mind and make sure everybody is fighting for the same purpose.\u201d
\nAnswering Queiroz\u2019s call
\nSpeaking about his new role, the 61-year-old described Queiroz\u2019s call to join Ghana\u2019s technical bench for a third World Cup together as \u201ca no-brainer\u201d, admitting the scale of the challenge and the prestige of the Black Stars made the decision immediate.
\n\u201cWhen Carlos called me at 3 a.m., it was exciting,\u201d De S\u00e1 revealed. \u201cI told my wife first and, as usual, she said: \u2018We are leaving.\u2019 I said: \u2018Let\u2019s go.\u201d
\nThe appointment reunites De S\u00e1 with Queiroz, one of world football\u2019s most travelled and respected tournament coaches.
\nTheir partnership stretches back to Portugal at the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, continued with Iran in Qatar in 2022, and included a run to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations final with Egypt \u2014 losing to Senegal on penalties.
\nStints together in Qatar and Oman followed before Ghana came calling, and this time De S\u00e1 barely needed a moment’s thought.
\n“Carlos has invited me to work with him in other countries before, and sometimes I’ve had to think carefully about it,” he admitted. “But this one was different.”\u201cThis is Ghana, and it\u2019s the World Cup. I didn\u2019t even have to think twice.\u201d
\nDe S\u00e1 also underlined the importance of the strong working relationship he has built with Queiroz over the years, built on trust, honesty and tactical collaboration.
\n\u201cCarlos listens,\u201d he explained. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t have to take every opinion, but he welcomes different views. That\u2019s one of his greatest strengths.\u201d
\nInside Ghana\u2019s preparations
\nSince arriving in Ghana, De S\u00e1 disclosed that the technical team had already immersed itself in intensive analytical work ahead of the World Cup, studying player performances, reviewing recent Black Stars matches and monitoring the form of Ghanaian players across Europe.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve watched a lot of videos and reviewed recent Ghana matches carefully,\u201d said the former coach of South African glamour side, Orlando Pirates. \u201cWe are monitoring the players constantly because the margins at a World Cup are very small. Preparation is everything.\u201d
\nBorn in Mozambique before relocating to South Africa as a child, the former Bafana Bafana player also stressed that familiarity within Ghana\u2019s technical set-up would help accelerate the rebuilding process.
\nHe spoke warmly about reconnecting with familiar faces including former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper, Fatawu Dauda, and long-time football associate, John Paintsil, a former assistant coach of South African top side, Kaizer Chiefs.
\nDespite Ghana\u2019s inconsistent performances in recent years, De S\u00e1 rejected suggestions that the Black Stars require sweeping tactical surgery.
\nInstead, he believes the team\u2019s biggest challenge over the next few weeks will be to forge cohesion, clarity and a collective mentality capable of surviving football\u2019s most unforgiving stage.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t think there are massive areas that need improvement,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt\u2019s about cohesion, belief and commitment. The World Cup is not about individuals; it\u2019s about mentality and togetherness.\u201d
\nGroup phase strategy
\nThe pathway to the knockout stages runs through Group L, which pairs Ghana against Panama, England and Croatia. De S\u00e1 said his boss had mapped the route with characteristic clarity. \u00a0
\n“We will pick our targets as they come,” he said. “The first target is Panama, then England, then Croatia. After that, we will see where we are and hopefully have another opportunity in the knockout stages.”
\nNow, the focus is firmly on preparing the Black Stars for a brutal group-stage campaign that will test both the team\u2019s talent and mentality.
\nWhile refusing to make reckless promises, De S\u00e1 believes the Black Stars can become dangerous opponents if the players perform to their full potential.
\n\u201cI\u2019m not going to sit here and say we will win the World Cup,\u201d he cautioned. \u201cBut nothing is impossible in football.
\nGhana have the talent. They have previous World Cup experience. They have a head coach with a formidable track record and an assistant who is fully invested in the mission. And De S\u00e1 made it clear that the technical team\u2019s commitment to the Black Stars project was absolute.
\n\u201cWe are here to give everything and make Ghanaians happy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n
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\n

\"Roger<\/p>\n

Roger De S\u00e1 has thrown down an early warning to Ghana\u2019s World Cup rivals, insisting the Black Stars already possess the quality to trouble the world\u2019s elite. <\/strong><\/p>\n

He insists the technical handlers\u2019 mission over the next few weeks is not to reinvent the team, but to forge cohesion and mentality capable of surviving football\u2019s biggest battlefield.<\/p>\n

The vastly experienced South African coach, appointed as assistant to veteran Portuguese tactician, Carlos Queiroz, for the 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, says Ghana\u2019s blend of European-based talent, hunger and football intelligence convinced him that the Black Stars could become one of the tournament\u2019s dangerous outsiders.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not going to teach them how to play football,\u201d De S\u00e1 declared in an interview with the Ghana Football Association\u2019s Beyond the<\/p>\n

Whistle podcast. \u201cThe talent is already there. We just have to put the players in the right positions, give them the right frame of mind and make sure everybody is fighting for the same purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n

Answering Queiroz\u2019s call<\/h2>\n

Speaking about his new role, the 61-year-old described Queiroz\u2019s call to join Ghana\u2019s technical bench for a third World Cup together as \u201ca no-brainer\u201d, admitting the scale of the challenge and the prestige of the Black Stars made the decision immediate.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Carlos called me at 3 a.m., it was exciting,\u201d De S\u00e1 revealed. \u201cI told my wife first and, as usual, she said: \u2018We are leaving.\u2019 I said: \u2018Let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n

The appointment reunites De S\u00e1 with Queiroz, one of world football\u2019s most travelled and respected tournament coaches.<\/p>\n

Their partnership stretches back to Portugal at the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, continued with Iran in Qatar in 2022, and included a run to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations final with Egypt \u2014 losing to Senegal on penalties.<\/p>\n

Stints together in Qatar and Oman followed before Ghana came calling, and this time De S\u00e1 barely needed a moment’s thought.<\/p>\n

“Carlos has invited me to work with him in other countries before, and sometimes I’ve had to think carefully about it,” he admitted. “But this one was different.”
\u201cThis is Ghana, and it\u2019s the World Cup. I didn\u2019t even have to think twice.\u201d<\/p>\n

De S\u00e1 also underlined the importance of the strong working relationship he has built with Queiroz over the years, built on trust, honesty and tactical collaboration.<\/p>\n

\u201cCarlos listens,\u201d he explained. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t have to take every opinion, but he welcomes different views. That\u2019s one of his greatest strengths.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inside Ghana\u2019s preparations<\/h2>\n

Since arriving in Ghana, De S\u00e1 disclosed that the technical team had already immersed itself in intensive analytical work ahead of the World Cup, studying player performances, reviewing recent Black Stars matches and monitoring the form of Ghanaian players across Europe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve watched a lot of videos and reviewed recent Ghana matches carefully,\u201d said the former coach of South African glamour side, Orlando Pirates. \u201cWe are monitoring the players constantly because the margins at a World Cup are very small. Preparation is everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Born in Mozambique before relocating to South Africa as a child, the former Bafana Bafana player also stressed that familiarity within Ghana\u2019s technical set-up would help accelerate the rebuilding process.<\/p>\n

He spoke warmly about reconnecting with familiar faces including former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper, Fatawu Dauda, and long-time football associate, John Paintsil, a former assistant coach of South African top side, Kaizer Chiefs.<\/p>\n

Despite Ghana\u2019s inconsistent performances in recent years, De S\u00e1 rejected suggestions that the Black Stars require sweeping tactical surgery.<\/p>\n

Instead, he believes the team\u2019s biggest challenge over the next few weeks will be to forge cohesion, clarity and a collective mentality capable of surviving football\u2019s most unforgiving stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think there are massive areas that need improvement,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt\u2019s about cohesion, belief and commitment. The World Cup is not about individuals; it\u2019s about mentality and togetherness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Group phase strategy<\/h2>\n

The pathway to the knockout stages runs through Group L, which pairs Ghana against Panama, England and Croatia. De S\u00e1 said his boss had mapped the route with characteristic clarity. \u00a0<\/p>\n

“We will pick our targets as they come,” he said. “The first target is Panama, then England, then Croatia. After that, we will see where we are and hopefully have another opportunity in the knockout stages.”<\/p>\n

Now, the focus is firmly on preparing the Black Stars for a brutal group-stage campaign that will test both the team\u2019s talent and mentality.<\/p>\n

While refusing to make reckless promises, De S\u00e1 believes the Black Stars can become dangerous opponents if the players perform to their full potential.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to sit here and say we will win the World Cup,\u201d he cautioned. \u201cBut nothing is impossible in football.<\/p>\n

Ghana have the talent. They have previous World Cup experience. They have a head coach with a formidable track record and an assistant who is fully invested in the mission. And De S\u00e1 made it clear that the technical team\u2019s commitment to the Black Stars project was absolute.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are here to give everything and make Ghanaians happy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,103],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports","category-travel"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=119334"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119334\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=119334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=119334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=119334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}