Ghana manager Carlos Queiroz has criticised the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams, expressing his fear that the move risks turning it into a “vulgar, ordinary competition.”
Queiroz’s comments come on the back of an unprecedented progress by African teams at the tournament, where nine out of the 10 countries, including Ghana, have progressed to the next round.
The Portuguese coach spoke at a news conference after Ghana’s 2-1 defeat to Croatia on Saturday, a result which meant the Black Stars qualified for the knockout stage as one of the group stage’s eight best third-placed teams.
“I do believe that what really has huge value, huge and significant value, is [that which] is rare,” Quieroz said. “I’ve never seen in my life common things, ordinary things that come with huge value.
“So, the number of teams that qualify for the World Cup, I am afraid that [it] can turn this competition [into a] vulgar, ordinary competition. … With so many teams qualifying for the World Cup, I think the value of the competition [comes from it] being rare to be in the World Cup. It’s, in my opinion, still debatable. I need to see. It’s one opinion that is based on my personal feeling.”
