Carlos Queiroz believes Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire share several important qualities ahead of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying clash in Bouaké.
The Black Stars will face the Elephants on Thursday, September 24, in the opening Group C fixture, with both former African champions entering the new qualifying campaign with ambitions of securing an early advantage.
Queiroz expects the contest to be an attacking battle, pointing to similarities in the qualities possessed by players from both sides.
“Ivory Coast have players with a lot of power, creativity, [and] skill, who like to play attacking football. I can say the same thing about these qualities for Ghana,” the Black Stars coach said.
The Portuguese coach has also stressed his attacking philosophy since returning to the Ghana job. He says his teams must look to attack when they have possession and fight to regain the ball when they do not.
That approach could make for an intriguing encounter against an Ivorian side beginning a new chapter under Hervé Renard. The Frenchman has returned for a second spell in charge and named eight newcomers in his squad for the qualifiers.
Ghana have also had changes to their squad, with Queiroz bringing back several players as he begins another phase with the Black Stars.
However, player availability has been a major talking point in the build-up, with several key players ruled out or withdrawn.
For Queiroz, however, the focus remains on what happens on the pitch.
