'We are no longer the Ghana of old' – Anthony Baffoe urges tactical reality check for Black Stars

[caption id="attachment_1309670" align="alignnone" width="669"] Black Stars[/caption]Former Black Stars captain Anthony Baffoe has offered a frank assessment of Ghana's current standing ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, urging head coach Carlos Queiroz to adopt a system that reflects the team's present reality rather than past dominance.Speaking to Citi Sports, the Professional Footballers Association of Ghana's general secretary stressed that Ghana can no longer rely on the free-flowing, dominant football of previous generations."I don't think we are the Ghana like some years back that we play dominant football.

I believe that we have to be compact and use the players accordingly," Baffoe said.He called for tactical discipline and compactness, emphasising that the intensity of the World Cup demands a pragmatic approach.

Baffoe also highlighted the importance of deploying key attackers like Antoine Semenyo and Jordan Ayew in roles that mirror their club positions to maximise their impact."How do we put, for instance, Antoine Semenyo, who had a fantastic season in the Premier League, appropriately? How do we use Jordan? I'm just mentioning names appropriately.

So for me, I think we should play very, very compact because the intensity is going to be very, very high," he added.Despite his measured expectations, Baffoe reaffirmed his unwavering support for the team. "We are Ghanaians; we always remain Ghanaians.

Sometimes we are not happy, but as soon as the World Cup starts kicking off, we are 100% behind the team," he said.The Black Stars continue their final preparations in Cardiff ahead of a friendly against Wales on June 2, with Queiroz expected to name his final 26-man squad on June 1.

Ghana face Panama, England, and Croatia in Group L.