With two training sessions a day in the Cardiff heat, the Black Stars are embracing new head coach Carlos Queiroz’s demanding methods as they build toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup, left-back Gideon Mensah has revealed. The Auxerre defender, who featured at Qatar 2022, says he feels the weight of experience ahead of his second World Cup but insists Ghana’s first target must be escaping a tough Group L with Panama, England, and Croatia.
Read on for the full transcript as published by ghanafa.org.
On training so far in Cardiff
I think it’s going very well. I mean, everybody’s looking sharp, we have a new coach who comes with a new form of training and everything. I think it’s something that we are not used to. And then I think we are adapting very good. I mean, today we had two sessions. Yesterday was the same. And then I think we are building up very good.
On new coach Carlos Queiroz
Every coach has his own way of working. So, he has his own unique way of working, which comes with the training sessions. And then how we behave when we’re in the hotel and stuff. The training session, like I said, which is very intensive. We’re not really used to this but then we are going to the World Cup, so that’s what we need as well. So, we are hoping that everything goes well and that we continue like this.
On training in the hot weather in Cardiff
Yeah, very well. We are going to the World Cup; we’ll be playing in the summer. So, why not? We are here, It’s very hot. But then this is what we need before we go to the tournament. So, it’s good for us to go into the sun and then making sure that we are ready for the World Cup.
On expectations
The expectation is very clear for me as a player and then we as a team, we are working towards a very crucial tournament for us, for the country and for ourselves as a player. So, I mean, we are expecting that we go into the game, show to the Ghanaians and show to ourselves that we are ready to go and compete with whoever that comes against us in the World Cup.
On being on the verge of a second World Cup appearance
Very good, very good for me, myself, my family, my friends. I mean, for what I’ve been able to achieve in my career. I mean, going for the second World Cup in my career, being with the national team for eight years, which is very good for me. I feel so good. I feel like an experienced player. I feel like I have a responsibility also for the new boys that are coming in which gives me a lot of excitement to be here.
On how the call up came to him
I think it was a bit like 50-50. I was expecting it and I was a bit surprised as well because obviously there is a new coach. The whole qualifiers was played under another coach, which was not the coach who is here now. I mean, I kept working in my club, training hard, playing every game, week in, week out, and then hoping that a call-up will come. I always said that I was expecting to be in the squad. At the same time, I was also expecting to make sure that the work that I’ve been working on in the club side will also speak for me so, yeah, I would say it was 50-50. It’s very clear.
On World Cup target
I mean, we are hoping that we do better than our last World Cup, which is to go out of the group stage and then we take it from there. I mean we can aim to go to the finals and to win the World Cup, but then it needs to start from somewhere. So, if we are to go to the last World Cup, then I think we have to also focus on getting out of the group stage and then from there we can look into what will happen.
