Tuesday's international friendly against Wales in Cardiff gave Ghana fans a first opportunity to experience life for the Black Stars under new head coach Carlos Queiroz, while also providing a glimpse of what to expect from the West African giants at the FIFA World Cup.
The 1-1 draw wasn't an exhilarating watch, with Wales salvaging a result in the 93rd minute after Lewis Koumas cancelled out Caleb Yirenkyi's 66th-minute opener, but did we see enough from the Black Stars to prompt renewed optimism ahead of their Group L campaign?
Queiroz blueprint loading
The arrival of Queiroz in April promised a more organised, resilient, rugged Ghana after the (at times) chaotic reign of Otto Addo and, particularly, the 5-1 and 2-1 defeats against Austria and Germany in March.
This has been the Portuguese head coach's blueprint during his time in international football, with Queiroz establishing disciplined teams who defend stoutly and attempt to stifle their opponents while threatening through fast counterattacking play down the flanks.
This was Queiroz's vision in action, as Ghana allowed Wales to have the ball, maintained their rigid lines, and sought to neutralise the hosts' space. Until the final minutes, the Black Stars did this well.
While Wales bossed the ball with over 70 percent during the first half, and Ghana ending the game with only 33 percent possession, they managed to hold a decent side at bay for the majority of the match, and can take encouragement from their newfound defensive solidity.
Not enough to judge yet
Ghana fans shouldn't forget, on the back of Wales' late equaliser, that these are still only very early days for Queiroz and Ghana.
This is the first international break he's had with the national side, the first opportunity he's had to work with the players, and the first chance they've had to begin to adapt to his methods and understand his vision of football.
It wasn't going to be perfect from day one, but Queiroz is experienced in tournament environments, he knows how to manage the cadences of a major international competition, and should have ample time over the coming days to ensure the Wales draw is the starting point for improved performances.
Already, there was evidence of greater confidence among the players, a little bit of that belief returning, and that should serve Ghana well for the challenges to come.
The midfield is a concern
Ghana's rigid approach will be needed against heavyweights Croatia and England, and they'll likely need to keep things tight against Panama as well if they're to win the decisive group game and give themselves the best shot of reaching the knockouts.
However, there will surely be times when they'll find themselves chasing a game, or needing to impose themselves more effectively to take the initiative in a contest. Based on this evidence, there must be clear questions about whether they have the midfielders to do that.
While having so little of the ball and defending resiliently can hold Wales at arm's length for almost all of the contest, it's unlikely to be a strategy that will take Ghana deep in the tournament.
Clearly, it's a midfield who can hold their position, and who can pick a pass, but who can turn and run at opponents, who can break the lines, and who can change the dynamic of a midfield battle with a turn of pace?
It'll be a central unit devoid of dribblers, devoid of this kind of player, and while it fits Queiroz's Plan A, how will they adapt when they need something a little different?
Partey part of the problem
On paper, one of Ghana's key men, but Partey's presence - at times too passive - must improve in the heart of the park, with Black Stars fair to demand more from one of their most experienced heads.
Already, his inclusion by Queiroz threatens to be a distraction, given the Villarreal player has been charged with seven counts of rape and one of sexual assault ahead of a trial in November later this year.
The head coach already had to defend his decision to include the 32-year-old in his pre-match-press conference, and there will be further questions ahead of the opener against Panama on June 18.
In a sporting sense, Partey has soared heights in the game that none of this Ghana squad can match, although it's worth noting that he's coming off the back of a testing campaign with the Yellow Submarine and is no longer in his prime.
The veteran has started just eight matches in La Liga since arriving from Arsenal, failing to forge a regular spot for himself in Marcelino Garcia's team as they secured a return to the Champions League.
Here, his contribution was limited, with the midfielder looking shorn of sharpness and match fitness, sluggish - if not clumsy - in the tackle, and lacking the dynamism to be the box-to-box operator that this team craves.
The booing from the Welsh crowd when he got near the ball appeared to unsettle him -- it remains to be seen if he'll face similar treatment in the States -- while he was fortunate not to be sent off for a second yellow card.
Queiroz may have a(nother) tough decision to make as he evaluates whether or not Partey should still be a starter for his Ghana at the World Cup.
Baba does little to justify return
Perhaps the biggest surprise from the World Cup squad named by Queiroz was the return to the international fold of left back Abdul Rahman Baba.
The ex-Chelsea man's career pivoted on his campaign at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon, when a devastating injury sent his football life on a trajectory from which he's never truly recovered, and he hadn't featured for the national side since 2023 before returning against Wales.
Introduced as an 85th-minute substitute, Baba was at fault for Koumas's stoppage-time goal, as a momentary lapse allowed Neco Williams to tear past him and send in a fine cross before the Liverpool youngster equalised.
It wasn't a hideous error, these things can happen, especially for a player just entering the match and attempting to adjust to the tempo.
However, for Baba, already a questionable call-up among Ghana fans, it was a mistake that should put him back in the spotlight and raise continued scrutiny about Queiroz's decision to bring him back from the international wilderness.
Either way, left back remains a position of concern for Queiroz and his technical team.
Is Jordan Ayew becoming a problem?
Another one of the old guard whose future with the national side might fairly be questioned is Jordan Ayew.
If Ghana are to be content to operate without the ball, and focus their attacking play down wide areas, utilising the pace of the likes of Ernest Nuamah, Christopher Bonsu-Baah, Iñaki Williams and Antoine Semenyo, then where does Jordan fit in?
At 34, he doesn't have the pace to contribute in transitions, while against Wales, he too often slowed the play, passed backwards or inside during the rare moments that the Black Stars found some possession, limited the rhythm and did little to unleash his fellow attackers.
That's not to say he doesn't have qualities; the Leicester City man still has admirable football intelligence, can press - albeit not for 90 minutes, drop into midfield, hold up play if required, and offers a brand of leadership that few others do.
However, these qualities alone should no longer guarantee him a starting berth in this Ghana side. Will Queiroz decide that the Ghana captain could better be served as an impact sub, or can Jordan's current skillset find a way for him to exist in the Portuguese coach's starting XI?
Jonas Adjetey's redemption arc begins
Like Baba Rahman, Adjetey's inclusion in Queiroz's Ghana squad did not go down too well back home.
The centreback has had opportunities with the national team before, having first made his debut in 2024, but he was written off in some quarters following the disastrous showings in the friendlies against Austria and Germany in the spring.
Certainly, there were hopes that, even if he were to make the squad after playing a prominent role during qualification, he would not be Ghana's starting centreback at the World Cup.
There might be a few fans revising their assessment after Tuesday, as the Wolfsburg man was a veritable rock in the heart of the Black Stars defence, repelling multiple Welsh attacks, protecting the - at times, uncertain - Benjamin Asare and Lawrence Ati Zigi, and was the only player to feature for the full 90 minutes.
He was the most communicative and proactive of defenders in this new-look Ghana team, with a brave early fourth-minute clearance setting the tone for an obdurate display.
Perhaps he could have done better for the goal, but Adjetey's front-foot, aggressive, 'act first, ask questions later' defensive style could establish him as the spiritual successor to John Mensah in the heart of Ghana's backline.
