Carlos Queiroz Names Ghana’s Official Starting XI to Clash with Croatia | Discuss Ghana

The tactical blueprints have been handed in, and the battlefield is set. With their historic qualification to the World Cup Round of 32 already mathematically sealed in the morning, head coach Carlos Queiroz has unveiled a powerful, highly disciplined starting lineup for the Black Stars' crucial Group L finale against Croatia at Lincoln Financial Field.

Refusing to let the luxury of early qualification dilute his signature "winning over entertainment" operational code, the veteran Portuguese mastermind has stuck firmly to the core defensive spine that frustrated England in Boston. The big news in the camp is the official confirmation of vice-captain Thomas Partey anchored directly in the starting engine room, following a high-stakes diplomatic visa push by Sports Minister Kofi Adams that successfully cleared the midfielder for action.

The Breakdown of the Black Stars' Tactical Grid

Carlos Queiroz's official starting eleven combines relentless physical tracking with intense positional discipline, organized in his unyielding system:

The Goalkeeping Fortress: Local-league breakout star Benjamin Asare (16) retains his undisputed spot between the sticks, hunting for an unprecedented third consecutive World Cup clean sheet.

The Five-Man Shield: The defensive barricade features a turgid mixture of raw muscle and positioning, anchored by Jonas Adjetey (4), Derrick Luckassen (23), and the versatile Marvin Senaya (26) on the flanks, alongside Gideon Mensah (14).

The Engine Room Dictators: Vice-captain Thomas Partey (5) anchors the central pivot alongside the tireless Kwasi Sibo (8) and Elisha Owusu (15), built to completely suppress Luka Modrić's distribution lines.

The Transition Attack: Up front, the explosive Antoine Semenyo (11) and the trickery of Kamal Deen Sulemana (22) are primed to exploit the spaces highlighted by Croatia’s Joško Gvardiol. The unit will be led on the field by veteran forward and captain Jordan Ayew (9).

The Official Starting Eleven Table

Jersey Number	Player Name	Position	Club Tier
16	Benjamin Asare	Goalkeeper	Local League / Great Olympics
4	Jonas Adjetey	Center-Back	Basel
5	Thomas Partey	Defensive Midfielder	Villarreal
8	Kwasi Sibo	Central Midfielder	Real Oviedo
9	Jordan Ayew (C)	Forward / Winger	Leicester City
11	Antoine Semenyo	Center-Forward	Manchester City
14	Gideon Mensah	Left-Back	Auxerre
15	Elisha Owusu	Central Midfielder	Auxerre
22	Kamal Deen Sulemana	Winger / Forward	Southampton
23	Derrick Luckassen	Center-Back	Pafos FC
26	Marvin Senaya	Right-Back	Strasbourg