Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has explained that match fitness and competitive readiness remain the major factors guiding his selection of players for Ghana’s upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Ghana is preparing for a difficult Group C double-header against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia, with Queiroz stressing the importance of having players who are physically prepared and ready to contribute immediately.
According to the Portuguese coach, his technical team has been closely monitoring Ghanaian players across different leagues and assessing their current situations before making selection decisions.
Queiroz said the primary requirement is for players to be actively involved in competitive football and physically ready for international duty.
“The main criteria is to bring players who are match fit,” Queiroz said.
The coach, however, acknowledged that national team managers do not have control over the decisions made by club coaches, particularly when it comes to how frequently Ghanaian players feature for their respective clubs.
“But very unfortunately, we national team coaches, we don’t control the clubs and their coaches,” he added.
Queiroz explained that some players may be performing well in training or may possess the experience and quality required at international level, but a lack of regular competitive minutes can affect their readiness for demanding national team matches.
The Black Stars coach said his technical team therefore has to consider the circumstances surrounding each player before making a final decision.
“Some of them are playing very well. Some of them don’t have minutes in their legs, they’re not match fit as we expect,” Queiroz explained.
His comments underline the importance he places on current physical condition rather than relying solely on reputation or previous performances with the national team.
For Queiroz, the national team environment requires players who can step into competitive matches with the necessary physical sharpness, especially when there is very little time available to prepare for qualifiers.
The coach has also faced difficult decisions concerning players returning from injury or those who have only recently regained their places in their club teams.
One example is Mohammed Kudus, who was initially included in the squad but later withdrew as he continues to build up his fitness following a lengthy injury lay-off.
Queiroz said the decision regarding Kudus was taken after discussions with the player and consideration of the information available to the technical team.
“It is simple for you guys to understand. In the course of our decisions as national team coaches, we cannot control the decisions of club coaches,” he said.
The coach added that after Kudus played more than 70 minutes for Tottenham, the technical team concluded that allowing him more time to recover was the appropriate decision.
“We have to make decisions based on the information we have in our hands,” Queiroz said.
Queiroz’s selection philosophy means players who are regularly featuring for their clubs and maintaining a high level of physical conditioning could have an advantage when squad decisions are being made.
At the same time, the coach has indicated that exceptional circumstances can influence the general rule, meaning experience, individual quality and the specific needs of the team can still be considered.
The Ghana Football Association has also reported Queiroz’s broader selection principle, saying players are expected to be in competitive action, physically prepared and fully ready to play for the national team, except in exceptional circumstances.
The Black Stars will begin their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign against Côte d’Ivoire on September 24 before facing The Gambia in Accra on September 29. The team will also play Morocco in an international friendly during the current international window.
With the qualifiers coming in quick succession, Queiroz’s emphasis on match fitness reflects the demands of international football, where national team coaches have limited time with their players and cannot replicate the regular training and match environment provided by clubs.
The coach therefore wants players arriving in camp to already have the physical foundation required to compete, rather than depending entirely on a short period of national team training to bring them up to speed.
For Ghana, the approach could also mean continued competition among players for places in the squad, with regular club involvement becoming an important part of the selection process as the Black Stars begin their campaign for a place at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
