Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has downplayed the importance of ball possession in football, insisting that results—not statistics—define success.
His comments came after Ghana’s 1-1 draw with Wales in a pre-World Cup friendly, where the Black Stars recorded just 34% possession but still secured a draw in Cardiff.
Queiroz said the match reinforced his belief that controlling the ball does not automatically translate into winning games, stressing that efficiency in key moments matters more.
He pointed to recent elite-level football as evidence, citing matches where teams dominated possession but failed to convert that advantage into victory.
According to him, the true measure of a team’s quality lies in its ability to score goals and defend effectively rather than maintain territorial control.
The coach maintained that Ghana’s focus in its World Cup preparations is to build a winning mentality based on results and tactical discipline.
He described football at the highest level as a “results-driven business,” where performance is ultimately judged by outcomes rather than style or statistics.
