Black Stars goalkeeping coach says he is extremely pleased with Ghana’s four goalkeepers and has no doubt they will be ready for the physical and technical challenge of England on Monday. Speaking to ghanafa.org, he explained Carlos Queiroz’s decision to carry four keepers is to manage training load during finishing and crossing drills, creating a competitive yet positive environment in camp.
On having four goalkeepers:
I’m extremely pleased with the goalkeepers we have. We have four, and sometimes there’s speculation why four goalkeepers. The reason is Coach Carlos Queiroz likes to do a lot of finishing and crossing, and it’s important we have four so they can rotate. There’s less repetition on each one of them. That keeps them healthy and sharp.
On the training environment:
I’ve been enjoying my collaboration with Coach Fatou. We’ve been able to work well together and there’s synergy between us and the goalkeepers. We’ve created a competitive yet positive environment. We brought a certain energy and spirit to training. The cooperation has been unbelievable. I have nothing but praise for these goalkeepers — I admire not only their talent, but their humility, character, and devotion to the national team.
On daily standards:
The challenge we give the goalkeepers is: wake up the next day better than the day before. They’ve responded extremely well. We try to be creative with our activities but make them match-related for each opponent. Panama is different to England. England will be different to Croatia. So we do our analysis, find their dangerous players and attacking patterns, and incorporate that into training.
On England:
Obviously, England is one of the best teams in the world. They have certain characteristics and a style of play, and we’re exposing our goalkeepers to those conditions. We’re preparing them not only for the timing of catching and boxing, but also the physical challenge they’ll face. I have no doubt our goalkeepers are prepared for all the conditions against England.
On Ati-Zigi”s progress:
We’re extremely happy with his progress. It’s day by day. Obviously, this is a medical issue collaborated with head coach Carlos Queiroz, so we’ll take it session by session. We’re optimistic, and the decision will be made at the right time. But one thing for sure — we always stress team above individual. Any decision we make is in the best interest of the team.
On Ghanaian fans:
I’ve been extremely proud to be part of the Ghana national team. I feel the love from the people. Our players feel the support, and we will do everything to the best of our ability to bring joy and happiness to the Ghanaian people. They bring a certain energy and vibe, and the players feed off that. Just keep giving us that support, keep believing in the Ghana national team — because we’re going to fight for you.
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