Former Ghana international Nii Odartey Lamptey has criticised the Black Stars’ performances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying the current team does not match the quality of previous Ghana sides that competed at the tournament.
Lamptey, who followed Ghana’s matches during the competition, said he was not impressed by what he saw from the team and believes the Black Stars have struggled to control games through possession.
“I watched all the matches and, personally, I’m not impressed,” Lamptey stated.
“If I look at the team that went to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, you can’t compare that team to this one. And then 2014, and our last World Cup in 2022. Even though we didn’t do well in 2022, I think that team was far, far better than this one.”
The former midfielder identified Ghana’s inability to keep possession as one of the biggest weaknesses in the team’s performances.
According to Lamptey, the Black Stars’ best teams were built around midfielders who were comfortable with the ball and could control the tempo of matches.
“You should have a team that is able to hold on to the ball, and this is what we couldn’t do. It was haunting us,” he said.
He specifically compared the current midfield to the one Ghana had at the 2010 World Cup, when players such as Stephen Appiah, Anthony Annan and Kevin-Prince Boateng helped the team compete strongly against some of the world’s best sides.
“All the teams I mentioned, the Ghana team in 2010, we could hold on to the ball. Look at our midfielders; we had ball jugglers and all that. This team, no. And this is what is haunting us,” Lamptey added.
Ghana reached the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup but faced criticism over its approach in several matches. The Black Stars eventually exited the competition after losing to Colombia in the Round of 32.
Lamptey, who was part of Ghana’s football setup during the 1990s and later worked with the national youth teams, believes lessons from the tournament should be used to improve the team ahead of future competitions.
The former Aston Villa and PSV Eindhoven player has previously remained vocal about Ghana’s football development and has also served as an assistant coach with the Black Satellites.
