In this interview with Flashscore, De Sa details how a mad scramble around Europe in the weeks leading up to the tournament helped lay the platform for their campaign, and what it is like to work with Queiroz after stints with South Africa, Portugal, Egypt, Iran, Qatar and now Ghana.
What is your role with the Ghana national team?
My title is first-team coach, and my role is to assist Carlos with just about everything. It is no different from the work I have done with him at other national teams. Most World Cups are great experiences, and this was no different. We worked with a different type of player, but they were excellent footballers and good people to work with. It was another great chapter in my career.
How did you find the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada?
I thought it was a very successful World Cup. There were a few issues here and there, but overall it was fantastic. It was a really good experience.
What impressed you most about the Ghana players?
Their humility stood out. I would not say it surprised me, but it was wonderful to experience how willing they were to work, learn and give 100% every day. That included players of massive stature who have already enjoyed great careers, as well as the younger players coming through. Sometimes the better the player, the better the personality.
What condition was the team in when you took over?
We took over a Ghana team that had lost six games in a row. That was the challenge. Ghana have enjoyed success in the past and are expected to produce results, so morale was understandably low. We needed to make changes and do things differently to show that we meant business, believed in the players and could give them hope.
How difficult was the limited preparation time for the World Cup?
Our preparation time was very short. We had only about 10 days with the team, so our first job was to travel around Europe, speak to the players, watch videos and monitor them at their clubs. I visited about 24 cities in four weeks, which involved some crazy travelling. Carlos could not travel because he had undergone a medical procedure, so I did the bulk of the scouting.
You also had to deal with some key players missing …
We had lost four regular players, including both centre-backs, winger from Tottenham Hotspur (Mohammed Kudus) and a midfielder. The absence of the centre-backs was particularly concerning because it meant using younger, less experienced players. Some of the players we were considering were also not getting regular game time at their clubs, so the selection process was challenging. You could travel to another city to watch a player, take your seat in the stadium and then find that he was on the bench.”
How useful was the friendly against Wales?
The players arrived on different days because some needed time to rest after their club seasons. Antoine Semenyo, for example, had just played in a cup final (for Manchester City) and needed four or five days to recharge, so he could not play against Wales. We drew 1-1 after leading for most of the game and conceding in the closing minutes. It was still a useful exercise because we learned more about the players and tested different partnerships and formations. However, we probably needed more training time and another friendly before the World Cup.
How important was the opening win against Panama at the World Cup?
We always regarded the opening game against Panama as our cup final. In a group also containing England and Croatia, it was the game we felt we had to win to have a successful World Cup. We won 1-0, and while it was not a classic performance, it was a gritty and determined one. That result relieved some pressure and gave us the belief that we could qualify for the second round, which was our main objective.
And you were denied a potential win against England in that 0-0 draw …
England were always going to be difficult opponents, but we devised a plan, the players bought into it and it worked. We earned a draw and could perhaps have won the game. As we said afterwards, if VAR had not gone for coffee, we probably would have received a penalty. I think even Stevie Wonder would have given it.
How do you assess Ghana’s tournament overall?
We lost 2-1 to Croatia and then 1-0 to Colombia, so ending the competition with two defeats was disappointing. However, considering the players we had available and the limited preparation time, I felt it was a satisfactory performance overall.
What is Carlos Queiroz like to work with?
Carlos has an unbelievable engine and a remarkable mind for the game. I do not think he ever sleeps because his brain never switches off from football. He is always thinking about what could happen, what might happen and what will happen. He is a manager who covers everything and is always on top of every possible circumstance. He is meticulous about every detail, which is how he has always operated, and it has worked for him. His energy at the age of 72 is unbelievable, and he is also in very good physical shape.