Ghana’s Black Stars have heard the complaints. The country that once dazzled the world with free-flowing, attacking football is now being likened to Diego Simeone’s rugged Atletico Madrid. Yet inside the camp, that comparison is being embraced rather than rejected.

Full-back Marvin Senaya insists the players are unmoved by criticism of Carlos Queiroz’s pragmatic blueprint, which has left Ghana on the brink of the World Cup knockout rounds after collecting four points from their opening two matches and keeping back-to-back clean sheets.

“We don’t care what people say,” Senaya said. “The most important thing is that we have four points and we’ll potentially qualify for the Last 32. It’s not always the most beautiful football that wins. Today, the most important thing is the results. That’s what feeds us, that’s what ensures we get paid.”

Under Queiroz, appointed only months before the tournament, Ghana have been transformed into a disciplined, defensively obsessed unit. Whether lining up in a 4-1-4-1 or 4-5-1, the Black Stars hold their shape, defend deep, compress space and suffocate passing lanes, trusting a low block and calculated counter-attacks.

The approach has drawn direct comparisons with Atletico Madrid’s attritional style, but for Queiroz’s players, that is hardly an insult. They have already blunted Panama and England, conceding 30 shots across both games yet rarely allowing clear chances, and striking late through Caleb Yirenkyi against Panama. Against England, they felt a series of refereeing calls denied them an even greater reward than a goalless draw.

Former England midfielder Paul Scholes, speaking on his podcast, recalled seeing Queiroz’s methods up close when the Portuguese coach was assistant at Manchester United. He likened Ghana’s display to United’s famous 0-0 draw with Barcelona at Camp Nou: deep defending, no gaps, and a relentless, awkward intensity.

Center-back Jerome Opoku believes the clarity of the plan is key. “We have the gameplan and I think we showed it against England,” he said. “Our plan was to keep a clean sheet and get a goal. We didn’t get the goal but we’ll take the 0-0. It’s a positive.”

For a nation scarred by recent Africa Cup of Nations failures, this steely, “Atletico Ghana” identity represents both a reset and a route back to the latter stages of major tournaments. Avoid defeat against Croatia, and the Black Stars’ new hard-edged persona will have delivered its first major vindication.