Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz says Ghana must establish a consistent core of players if the national team is to develop into a competitive and successful side.
The Portuguese coach believes the Black Stars must balance the immediate need for results with a deliberate plan to build a team capable of competing in the long term.
His comments come ahead of Ghana’s second match in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday.
The Black Stars are seeking their first victory of the qualifying campaign after suffering defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in their opening match in Bouaké.
Queiroz was forced to make several changes to his squad for the international window following the withdrawal of a number of key players.
While acknowledging the need to adapt to such situations, the former Portugal and Iran coach warned that frequent changes to the squad could make it difficult to build a championship-winning team.
“We have to win the game tomorrow; we have to be prepared to win, but at the same time, we have to plant the seeds of the future,” Queiroz said.
“You cannot build a winning team if you change every call-up; you change seven to nine players; that is not a championship team.”
He stressed the importance of developing a reliable core of players who are consistently available and committed to the national team.
“We have to think about that. We must have the core of the team prepared and ready to come with honesty,” he said.
Queiroz also highlighted the need to build trust between the technical team and the players as Ghana seeks to restore the Black Stars to a competitive level.
“We must have a trustworthy environment between our goals, our dreams and our players so that they are the ones to perform for the team,” he added.
Queiroz will now turn his attention to securing victory against The Gambia as Ghana looks to get its 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign back on track.
A win on Tuesday would also hand the Portuguese coach his second victory since taking charge of the Black Stars.
