Black Stars central defender, Jerome Opoku, says their failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has reignited the team’s determination to secure a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The four-time African champions finished bottom of their AFCON qualification group with only three points after six matches.
However, the Black Stars broke their winless streak in March with back-to-back victories over Chad and Madagascar in the World Cup qualifiers.
These wins have seen Ghana rise to the top of Group I with 15 points, and there are still four matches remaining in the qualifiers.
Opoku believes that the setback of missing out on the AFCON has fueled the team’s drive to succeed.
“We have much bigger motivation now,” Opoku told Flashscore. “Missing out on the AFCON was a huge disappointment for us, for the fans, and for the whole country. That setback has given us a deeper hunger to make things right by qualifying for the World Cup.”
Opoku, who played a key role in Ghana’s convincing win over Madagascar, is confident the team will qualify for the global tournament.
“I am 200% confident of qualifying,” he declared. “That’s the goal, and we know it won’t come easy. But we’ve regrouped, and we’re determined to give everything to stay on top and get the job done,” he added.
The Black Stars will face Chad and Mali in September for Matchdays 7 and 8 before concluding their qualifiers against the Central African Republic and Comoros.