Minister for Sports and Recreation Kofi Adams says the Black Stars are determined to progress beyond the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and compete strongly against some of the world’s top football nations.
Ghana have been drawn in Group L alongside Panama, England and Croatia for the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Speaking in an interview with SoccerChat, Adams said the appointment of experienced coach Carlos Queiroz reflects Ghana’s ambition to make a significant impact at the tournament rather than simply participating.
“We have already qualified for the World Cup, so qualification is not why we are bringing in a new coach. We are hiring the coach because we want to go very far,” he said.
The Sports Minister stressed that Ghana should consistently target progression beyond the group stage whenever the nation qualifies for the World Cup.
“For a World Cup, Ghana should not be aiming for anything below the next stage after the group phase. In this particular tournament, that means reaching the round of 32,” he stated.
The Black Stars will begin their campaign against Panama at BMO Field on June 17 before taking on England at Boston Stadium on June 23.
Ghana will conclude their group-stage fixtures against Croatia at Lincoln Financial Field on June 27 as they seek qualification to the knockout stages.
The four-time African champions will be hoping to avoid another early exit after suffering back-to-back group-stage eliminations at the 2014 and 2022 FIFA World Cups in Brazil and Qatar respectively.
