Former Ghana technical advisor Winfried Schafer believes the Black Stars have what it takes to defeat Croatia and book their place in the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite no longer being part of the national team's technical structure.
Schafer has remained a close observer of Ghana's campaign and is currently working as a television pundit from Antalya while covering the tournament.
Although his contract with the Ghana Football Association ended shortly after Carlos Queiroz replaced Otto Addo as head coach, the experienced German says his support for the Black Stars has not changed.
Ghana head into their final Group L match occupying one of the qualification spots after collecting four points from their opening two matches.
The Black Stars opened their campaign with victory over Panama before producing a disciplined display to earn a goalless draw against England, leaving qualification for the Round of 32 in their own hands.
Schafer believes the squad possesses enough quality to overcome Croatia if they perform to their potential.
"The squad has a lot of quality, and if they can unleash it at the right moment, I'm convinced they can beat Croatia," he said to Transfermarkt.
His responsibilities extended beyond the senior national team, including scouting players in the domestic league, maintaining relationships with clubs and supporting the federation's technical development.
Following Addo's dismissal, Schafer was informed that his own services were no longer required because the newly appointed coaching staff wanted to bring in their own personnel.
He admitted he found the explanation surprising because his role was not directly tied to the senior coaching team.
Nevertheless, Schäfer insists he has no resentment over the manner in which his tenure ended.
Instead, he says he remains proud of the relationships he built with players and staff and continues to follow the team's progress from afar.
The veteran coach also revealed that before his departure, he had advocated for Ghana's goalkeeping coach to remain part of the setup under Queiroz, believing continuity would benefit the squad.
As Ghana prepare for their decisive clash with Croatia, Schäfer hopes the players can reward the faith he still has in them by producing another strong performance.
Victory would secure Ghana's place in the knockout rounds and keep alive hopes of matching or surpassing the country's previous best World Cup achievements.
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