Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has defended his approach to football, insisting he has no plans to change his style despite criticism of the team’s performances and playing philosophy.
The Portuguese coach has faced questions over the Black Stars’ defensive approach, with some sections of the football community calling for a more attacking and possession-oriented style.
However, speaking at a press conference on Monday, September 21, Queiroz maintained that results, rather than aesthetics, ultimately determine a coach’s success.
“Have you seen any coach lose their job because of style of play before? Coaches lose their job because they don’t win, not because of their style,” he said.
“There is one thing that has kept me in my job for 47 years and it’s not after 47 years that I’m coming to change my style.”
Queiroz also rejected the suggestion that his approach is simply centred on defending when the Black Stars do not have possession.
“You think I didn’t want us to have the ball at the World Cup? Give me a break. When we don’t have the ball, our job is to fight until we have it back. Some call it defence, but I don’t call it that,” he added.
The comments come as Queiroz begins a new phase of his second spell in charge of the Black Stars following his reappointment by the Ghana Football Association earlier this month. The GFA said his experience, technical expertise and familiarity with the team were among the factors behind the decision.
His immediate focus is Ghana’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. The Black Stars will travel to Bouaké to face Côte d’Ivoire on Thursday, September 24, before hosting The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on September 29. Ghana will then face Morocco in an international friendly in Tangier on October 4.
Queiroz has already named a 24-man squad for the three matches, with Mohammed Kudus returning to the team after missing the 2026 World Cup through injury. Alexander Djiku has also returned, while Jan Gyamerah and Ronald Donkor received their first senior call-ups.
The debate over Queiroz’s style follows criticism from some former Ghana internationals and observers who have questioned the Black Stars’ approach. Former Ghana international Nii Odartey Lamptey, for instance, recently called for a more attacking approach and greater emphasis on possession.
For Queiroz, however, the priority remains winning matches.
“The winning makes the style. That’s the law of the game,” he said, reinforcing his position that results will ultimately determine how his football is judged.
The Black Stars will now have an immediate opportunity to put that philosophy to the test when they begin their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign against Côte d’Ivoire.
