Black Stars defender Gideon Mensah has given the clearest picture yet of life inside Carlos Queiroz’s training camp, saying players are pushing through an intensity level they have never previously experienced as Ghana’s World Cup preparations intensify in Cardiff.
All 28 players named for the preparatory phase are currently training in the Welsh capital ahead of the June 2 friendly against Wales at Cardiff City Stadium. The squad will be cut to 26 ahead of the tournament in line with Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) requirements, with Queiroz expected to announce his final selection on June 1.
Mensah, who plays for AJ Auxerre in France, said the former Real Madrid and Portugal assistant coach has brought an entirely different training philosophy to what the squad is accustomed to under previous coaching setups.
“The training session is very intensive; we are not really used to this but that is what we need,” the defender told the Ghana Football Association (GFA) in an interview.
He acknowledged that while the adjustment has been demanding, the players understand the reasoning. With Ghana’s opening World Cup match against Panama set for June 17 in Toronto, the time available for Queiroz to implement his methods and make squad decisions is extremely short. Mensah said the group is in the process of adapting and views the physical challenge as necessary preparation for the tournament’s demands.
Queiroz was appointed in April following the dismissal of Otto Addo, who left after consecutive friendly defeats to Austria and Germany. Ghana also lost a pre-camp warm-up against Mexico before the Cardiff camp opened. The new coach has publicly stated that no squad place is guaranteed and that selection will be decided on merit alone, a position that adds competitive weight to every training session.
Ghana are placed in Group L alongside England, Panama and Croatia, a demanding draw that makes the quality of Queiroz’s preparation work in Cardiff particularly consequential.
