In research, there are three main types: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. Each plays a different role, and the choice depends on what the researcher seeks to achieve. These methods are distinct, with each performing its own unique function.
Qualitative research focuses on the experiences of people or the target audience involved in a study, while quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics for example, how many people agree or disagree on an issue. Mixed methods, on the other hand, combine both qualitative and quantitative approaches.
This piece draws on examples from two Black Stars players to make its argument and seeks to encourage football fans, especially in Ghana, to adopt a more nuanced way of analysing the beautiful game.
The typical Ghanaian football fan, journalist, pundit, or even statistician often says, “This striker has played 50 games and scored only five goals, so he is a bad striker,” or “This goalkeeper had a better rating in this game, so he is good,” without considering the key factors that influence performance.
These include the quality of teammates, the manager’s tactics, the stadium environment, and the overall team culture all of which play major roles.
For goalkeepers, the number of shots faced also matters. A goalkeeper who faces few shots in a match may earn a high rating but may not necessarily be a good keeper. If tested in another game, the outcome could be very different, which may expose flaws in our earlier assessment.
The point of these examples is to highlight a crucial but often overlooked aspect of football: the player’s experience in relation to the conditions of play.
This is what I refer to as the qualitative aspect of football. While many fans rely heavily on statistics; the quantitative side both approaches are important. Over-reliance on numbers alone can lead to flawed analysis.
Consider this example:
“Antoine Semenyo’s first two friendly matches for Ghana in preparation for the 2026 World Cup: two games, zero goals, zero assists.
Shortly after, in a match for his club: one game, one goal, one assist.”
Should we conclude from the first set of data that he is a bad player? Certainly not. Should we assume he deliberately underperforms for Ghana? Absolutely not. This is the limitation of quantitative analysis it tells you what happened but not why.
The quality of players Semenyo plays with at club level is different from that of the national team. The timing and quality of passes he receives, the tactical systems, the managers he plays under, and even his position on the field all vary. These are the factors that qualitative analysis helps us understand, allowing for more accurate evaluation.
As of March 30, 2026, Semenyo had made 34 appearances for the Black Stars and scored three goals. Meanwhile, as of April 4, 2026, he had scored eight goals in 18 matches for his club.
If we focused only on his national team statistics, we might wrongly conclude that he is a poor player. This demonstrates the importance of looking beyond numbers to understand the different conditions under which a player operates.
Another example is Ghana’s goalkeeper, Benjamin Asare, who conceded only one goal during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Statistically, that is impressive.
However, in a post-friendly match against Germany, he conceded two goals. This shows the need to consider context. The attacking strength of the teams Ghana faced in the qualifiers cannot be compared to that of Germany, whose pressing and attacking quality are significantly higher.
Statistics can make a player appear exceptional in one game and poor in another. This is why we must pay attention to the player’s experience and context the qualitative aspect of football.
In conclusion, this is not to say that statistics are unimportant. Rather, the problem lies in over-reliance on them while ignoring qualitative factors that provide deeper understanding.
My dear football enthusiasts, I am Gabriel Tecco Mensah, and this is my humble call for all of us to look beyond statistics in analysing the beautiful game. Thank you.
