Black Stars need belief, not rebuilding — Assistant Coach De Sá

Roger De Sá has thrown down an early warning to Ghana’s World Cup rivals, insisting the Black Stars already possess the quality to trouble the world’s elite.

He insists the technical handlers’ mission over the next few weeks is not to reinvent the team, but to forge cohesion and mentality capable of surviving football’s biggest battlefield.

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

“We are not going to teach them how to play football,” De Sá declared in an interview with the Ghana Football Association’s Beyond the

Whistle podcast. “The 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.”

Answering Queiroz’s call

Speaking about his new role, the 61-year-old described Queiroz’s call to join Ghana’s technical bench for a third World Cup together as “a no-brainer”, admitting the scale of the challenge and the prestige of the Black Stars made the decision immediate.

“When Carlos called me at 3 a.m., it was exciting,” De Sá revealed. “I told my wife first and, as usual, she said: ‘We are leaving.’ I said: ‘Let’s go.”

The appointment reunites De Sá with Queiroz, one of world football’s most travelled and respected tournament coaches.

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 — losing to Senegal on penalties.

Stints together in Qatar and Oman followed before Ghana came calling, and this time De Sá barely needed a moment's thought.

"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."
“This is Ghana, and it’s the World Cup. I didn’t even have to think twice.”

De Sá also underlined the importance of the strong working relationship he has built with Queiroz over the years, built on trust, honesty and tactical collaboration.

“Carlos listens,” he explained. “He doesn’t have to take every opinion, but he welcomes different views. That’s one of his greatest strengths.”

Inside Ghana’s preparations

Since arriving in Ghana, De Sá 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.

“We’ve watched a lot of videos and reviewed recent Ghana matches carefully,” said the former coach of South African glamour side, Orlando Pirates. “We are monitoring the players constantly because the margins at a World Cup are very small. Preparation is everything.”

Born in Mozambique before relocating to South Africa as a child, the former Bafana Bafana player also stressed that familiarity within Ghana’s technical set-up would help accelerate the rebuilding process.

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.

Despite Ghana’s inconsistent performances in recent years, De Sá rejected suggestions that the Black Stars require sweeping tactical surgery.

Instead, he believes the team’s biggest challenge over the next few weeks will be to forge cohesion, clarity and a collective mentality capable of surviving football’s most unforgiving stage.

“I don’t think there are massive areas that need improvement,” he explained. “It’s about cohesion, belief and commitment. The World Cup is not about individuals; it’s about mentality and togetherness.”

Group phase strategy

The pathway to the knockout stages runs through Group L, which pairs Ghana against Panama, England and Croatia. De Sá said his boss had mapped the route with characteristic clarity.  

"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."

Now, the focus is firmly on preparing the Black Stars for a brutal group-stage campaign that will test both the team’s talent and mentality.

While refusing to make reckless promises, De Sá believes the Black Stars can become dangerous opponents if the players perform to their full potential.

“I’m not going to sit here and say we will win the World Cup,” he cautioned. “But nothing is impossible in football.

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 Sá made it clear that the technical team’s commitment to the Black Stars project was absolute.

“We are here to give everything and make Ghanaians happy,” he said.