Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku says the Black Stars demonstrated “resilience and promise” at the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite their exit in the Round of 32.
Ghana’s fifth World Cup campaign ended with a 1-0 defeat to Colombia in the knockout stage, bringing to a close a tournament in which the four-time African champions reached the last 32 for the first time since 2010.
The Black Stars began their campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Panama before holding England to a goalless draw.
A 2-1 defeat to Croatia in their final group match left Ghana with four points, but the team still progressed to the knockout phase.
Addressing delegates at the GFA’s 32nd Ordinary Congress at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram, Okraku said the tournament offered encouraging signs for the future of the national team.
“The Black Stars demonstrated resilience and promise at the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico,” he said.
“Advancing to the second round after a commendable performance against some of the world’s strongest teams before going out against Colombia.”
Okraku acknowledged that there had been hopes of a deeper run in the competition but argued that the team’s progress extended beyond its results on the pitch.
“Although we had hopes of progressing further, the tournament provided encouraging signs that the team is moving in the right direction,” he added.
“From being the least-ranked team before the start of the tournament to the 24th-ranked team at the end speaks volumes of the promise in this team.”
The Black Stars will now turn their attention to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with preparations expected to resume during the September international window.
