Black Stars assistant coach Roger De Sa has identified the demanding travel schedule as one of the biggest obstacles Ghana faced during their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in North America.
Ghana began the tournament with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto before travelling to Boston for their second Group H match against England.
The Black Stars then headed to Philadelphia for their final group fixture, where they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Croatia.
Despite advancing to the Round of 32, Ghana’s World Cup journey came to an end after a narrow 1-0 loss to Colombia in Kansas City.
Reflecting on the campaign, the South African assistant coach praised the organisation of the tournament but admitted the constant movement between host cities took a toll on the squad.
“You know World Cups are always special; you go to one or two of them, and they always get better, you know,” De Sa told 947’s MSW.
“I thought it was a fantastic tournament, very well organised. Great stadiums, great hotels, everything has been good. Good crowds, the stadiums are full.
“If there was one difficulty, I think it was the travel. The cities were quite distant sometimes, in different time zones. So, that does have an effect on all the teams. The travel is a bit taxing on the players,” De Sa added.
The Black Stars will now shift their focus to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, which begin in September.
Ghana have been drawn in Group C alongside Ivory Coast, Somalia and The Gambia as they aim to secure a place at the continental tournament.
