“World Cup wins are expensive” - Queiroz praises Ghana for finding a way after edging World Cup opener | OneFootball

Queiroz and Ghana made a winning start [Getty Images]

Ghana’s 1-0 victory over Panama in their Group L opener may not have been the most memorable starts to a World Cup campaign, but veteran Portuguese manager Carlos Queiroz was happy that his team followed the plan to obtain a precious three points.

The encounter in Toronto was a largely drab affair, with clearcut opportunities scarce as the west Africans adopted a pragmatic approach which saw them give up 62% of possession to their opponents. However, Caleb Yirenkyi’s goal in the 94th minute was enough to send the Ghana fans home pleased with a vital win.

With England and Croatia making up the group, a victory over Panama was essential for Queiroz’s side. Speaking after the match, the 73-year-old was typically confident in assuring followers of his team that a modest approach in respecting the opposition underpinned the positive result.

“I’m tired,” Queiroz told the press after the match, drawing laughter from journalists. “It was so tough and so intensive that I feel tired myself. This tells us everything about the game, it was a very intensive game. As I said before, the wins at this World Cup are very expensive. But today our players showed they are ready to pay high prices for wins.

“We knew Panama is a wonderful team, very well organised. They play very smart and play fast when they start the games. So, it was our time to suffer, to play with a lot of concentration, invite them to come, start to frustrate them and control all their solutions when they go forward.

“And step by step with the adjustments we made during the game, we started to control the game. We started to put more pressure on them, forced them to make mistakes. We kept going and that’s the way to win. Find the right way to win and we did it. First suffering and fighting, then expanding the quality of our players and our football.”

We have to play the game that’s in front of us - Queiroz 

Queiroz was appointed by the Black Stars just two months before the tournament, giving him little time to familiarise himself with his players and for them to absorb his methods. The former Seleção boss admits lack of preparation influenced the approach against Panama, but also believes his team must be humble enough to respect each opponent.

“We are growing as a team. We are playing a different system, the methods we are using to attack are to match the profile of our players. Step by step we will improve, the players will adjust to each other. For me it’s important that the players understand the game and people understand the game.

“We don’t play alone. I never tire of saying this to the media and to the fans. It’s impossible to think you can have a football game and you have just one team on the pitch. We play against others who have the same expectations same preparation, same dreams, expectations and goals.

“We have to play the game that is in front of us. Today we showed exactly that. When they’re better, we defend and fight for our lives. It was fantastic to see our players fight for their lives. And step by step we impose our game.

“We suffered in individual duels. The Panama players took advantage of those situations. Pushing and grabbing our players. Our young players are naive, the players from Panama are more experienced.  It was necessary that the referee put order on the pitch, but they kept going - pushing, grabbing and we lost a lot of duels because we played with heart but not aggressive.

“In the second half I pushed the ears of my players and said we need to go and fight and answer in the same level. And step by step we started to create better balance. We should score before, there was a clear penalty. The more cameras VAR put in the game, the less they can see. It’s amazing. How that penalty can escape from VAR, I’d have to spend a couple of months to investigate the science.

“We should have scored more early, because we started to control the game. At the beginning we knew Panama are very well organised, quick, good control of movements. They’ve been together four years, they play first touch football. And they’re better. They started the game better. But as I said, we fought, we survived and after we gained control we naturally scored because we were the best team on the pitch.”

Next up for Ghana is a meeting with England on 23 June in Boston, where avoiding defeat would give Queiroz’s men a strong change of reaching the knockout stage.