Ghana midfielder Kwasi Sibo has pledged that the Black Stars will give everything to secure victory against Panama in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in honour of teammate Thomas Partey.
Partey will miss Ghana’s Group L opener after failing to overturn a decision denying him entry into Canada. The 33-year-old was unable to travel with the squad to Toronto, leaving a significant gap in the team’s midfield ahead of the highly anticipated clash.
Sibo, who had been tipped to partner Partey in the centre of the park, said the squad remains united behind the former Arsenal midfielder and is determined to make him proud.
“Our brother has been through a lot, and we are always with him,” Sibo said.
“He is one of the biggest stars in our team, but for that, we have to make sure we win the game for him as a family and make him happy because he has been with us from the first day we started this campaign.”
“It hurts that we are playing our first game and he’s not with us. We are giving him our word,” he added.
Ghana head into the tournament eager to make a strong statement after disappointing recent World Cup campaigns.
The Black Stars will be hoping to begin with a positive result against Panama before facing England at Gillette Stadium on June 23.
They will then conclude their group-stage matches against Croatia on June 27 as they seek a place in the knockout rounds.
The four-time African champions are targeting their first appearance in the World Cup knockout stages since their memorable run to the quarter-finals at the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
