Ghana, appearing at the World Cup for the fifth time, will face Panama in their opener on June 17 in Toronto, before taking on England on June 23 in Boston and closing the group stage against Croatia on June 27 in Philadelphia.

In an interview with Sporty FM, Boateng described Ghana’s group as challenging but emphasised the importance of the first match against Panama.

“I feel like that’s a tough group. We all know how England plays—some of our players compete in the English league, so we know their style,” he said. “Croatia also always perform well in tournaments, and people respect them a lot; they have very good players who work hard.”

He highlighted Panama as a team not to be underestimated, pointing to the influence of their captain, who plays alongside him at San Diego.

“Here comes Panama, who we don’t know much about, and their captain plays in our team. I watch him every day in training; he is not a guy who runs a lot, but when the game starts, he has more brains than anyone on the field. He picks passes that can destroy your defenders in one move. They qualified because they play well—they are really good—and we face them in our first game,” Boateng said.

He insisted that a win against Panama would build confidence for the matches against England and Croatia.

“Everything starts from the first game. If we beat Panama, England and Croatia won’t seem as tough. England is afraid of us because we have quality players—Thomas Partey, Mohammed Kudus, Kamaldeen Sulemana have matched them before. In every tournament, the first game is the most important; it gives you a foundation for the rest of the matches. We must focus on that game,” he added.

After early exits in 2014 and 2022 in Brazil and Qatar, Ghana will be aiming for a deeper run in the expanded 2026 World Cup, beginning with a statement victory in Toronto.

Speaking in an interview with Sporty FM, the ex-Fulham star explained that Kevin-Prince had declined an invitation to join the Black Stars for an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Congo, only to resurface when Ghana was preparing to face England in a friendly.

According to Derek Boateng, the player’s decision did not sit well with members of the squad and sections of the technical team, who collectively agreed that he should not feature in the match against the Three Lions.

“We went to Congo or something to play a qualifier. Kevin-Prince Boateng was invited, but he didn’t show up. Then the next game we were playing against England, he came to the hotel. We made sure that he had to be out of the squad. He would not play,” he recounted.

He described the decision as one based on principle, stressing that the team could not accept what they considered a lack of commitment.

“We cannot go and play an Africa Cup qualifier and then come to England and you show up because you want to play. Now you are good? Nah, it will not happen,” he added.

Boateng’s comments come amid renewed debate over the possible inclusion of foreign-based players who previously declined to represent Ghana, as the Black Stars build towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The former international opposed the idea, singling out players such as Eddie Nketiah and Callum Hudson-Odoi, and arguing that calling up such players would be unfair and potentially harmful to team unity.

Appiah led the national team at the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups in Germany and South Africa, overseeing one of the most competitive periods in Ghana’s football history, but ultimately fell short of lifting a major trophy.

Speaking on Sporty FM, Boateng said the Black Stars consistently performed at their highest level whenever Appiah was fully fit, describing the former Juventus midfielder as the team’s driving force, both in tactical organization and leadership.

Boateng explained that Appiah’s influence went beyond match days, crediting him with shaping the squad’s discipline and mentality during a golden era for the national team.

However, he pointed to a serious knee injury as a turning point that derailed both Appiah’s career trajectory and the team’s trophy ambitions.

“As we went to about two or three finals, semifinals thereabouts, I feel like if not for Stephen Appiah’s injuries, he could have led us to win a trophy,” the former Fulham midfielder said.

“But the injury came so early, at his peak. And when you start having knee injuries, it means your career is going down,” he added.

He also praised Appiah’s leadership style, noting that he led by personal example.

“Stephen would never ask a young player to do anything he wouldn’t do himself,” Boateng said.

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The Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest attackers, both eligible to represent Ghana, are reported to be open to switching allegiance ahead of next summer’s tournament following renewed efforts by the Ghana Football Association to secure their commitment.

Boateng, however, has urged the Black Stars’ technical team to resist the move, warning that their inclusion could disrupt team unity.

“They should not be called. I don’t think it is fair,” the former Fulham midfielder told Sporty FM.

Drawing on his experience with the national team, Boateng recalled an incident involving his brother, Kevin-Prince Boateng, during a World Cup qualifying campaign.

“I remember when we went to Congo for a qualifier and Kevin-Prince was invited but did not show up. When we later played England and he came to the hotel, we made sure he was not part of the squad,” he said.

Boateng stressed that harmony within the team must take precedence, arguing that late call-ups could unsettle the dressing room.

“Football is a team sport. Bringing them in now will create chaos and trouble in the national team because players already have strong bonds,” he added.

Nketiah, who has one cap for England, has scored four goals in all competitions for Crystal Palace this season. Hudson-Odoi, capped three times by England, has scored three goals for Nottingham Forest in the current campaign.

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Ghana, drawn in Group L, will face Panama in their opening match in Toronto on June 17, before taking on England in Boston on June 23. The group campaign will conclude against Croatia in Philadelphia on June 27.

Speaking in an interview, Boateng, who was part of Ghana’s 2010 World Cup squad in South Africa, suggested that England, under head coach Thomas Tuchel, are not relishing the prospect of facing the four-time African champions.

“England is not tough for us. England is afraid of us,” he told Sporty FM.

Despite his confidence, Boateng urged the Black Stars to focus on their opening fixture against Panama, stressing the importance of starting the tournament strongly.

Having exited at the group stage in both the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the 2022 tournament in Qatar, Ghana will be aiming for a deeper run at the expanded 2026 finals, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

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Following a ban by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on the Baba Yara Stadium, the Black Stars are left without a venue for their home matches.

The ban came in the wake of Ghana’s defeat to Angola, with the stadium facing harsh criticism for its poor playing conditions.

Speaking on the situation, Boateng shared his disappointment over the country’s lack of proper infrastructure, emphasizing that a football powerhouse like Ghana should not be facing such issues.

“It’s so sad that we are in that kind of situation right now,” Boateng said as reported by 3Sports.

“We don’t have to be there. Ghana now has to find a field to play a home game, oh come on. We are too much for that so for me, it’s really sad to hear something like that,” added.

With the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers approaching, the location for Ghana’s Matchday 3 game against Sudan remains uncertain.

However, several reports suggest the match may be relocated to Côte d’Ivoire.

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The stadium has lost its license to host international matches after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) revoked its certification due to the poor condition of the pitch.

This development limits Ghana’s options for hosting upcoming games, with reports suggesting their next match against Sudan in October may be moved to Ivory Coast.

Expressing his frustration, Boateng challenged the GFA to take responsibility and address the issue. “If they care about football, they should fix it,” he urged.

“It is really said. This job is a huge job. One person cannot do it,” Derek said.

“Everybody has to be part of it but I feel the FA needs to wake up and do something because this is their job, to make sure that all the fields are good for the players to play.

“The only thing they care about is money. We have players coming from Europe in a good field. They will come and play in a sh**t pit and you expect them to perform well and win games?

“If the FA care about football, they have to make sure those things [fixing pitches] are done before the players will come [October].”

The Black Stars are set to face Sudan on October 11 in their quest for a first win in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Otto Addo and his charges have managed just one point from two games after a 1-0 loss to Angola and a 1-1 draw with Niger, placing them third in Group F.

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Appiah, celebrated for captaining Ghana to its debut World Cup in 2006, is regarded as one of the nation’s all-time great footballers.

In an interview, Boateng, who was Appiah’s teammate during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, lauded Appiah’s leadership skills and argued that he would be an excellent choice for the GFA presidency.

“Someone of Stephen Appiah’s calibre is capable of running Ghana football as the Football Association President, and he would do it better. Both former and current players respect him, and he understands everything” the former Fulham and Elche midfielder told Kingdom FM.

Boateng further praised Appiah’s exceptional work ethic during their playing days, noting that his intense training sessions always motivated the team to perform at their best.

“During our playing days with the Black Stars, Stephen Appiah’s work rate, even during training, was astonishing and motivated the entire team to push harder. We always trained with intensity as if we were in a match, but we would joke around after the session because it was so tough” he added.

Since retiring from playing, Appiah has taken on roles such as the Black Stars’ Team Manager and has been a part of the technical team.

He also had successful stints with clubs like Fenerbahçe and Hearts of Oak, earning 67 caps and scoring 15 goals for the Black Stars.

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Although the GFA has successfully recruited players like Inaki Williams, Tariq Lamptey, and Antoine Semenyo, Boateng insists that the Association needs a more structured plan to engage young players born in Europe to play for the four-time African champions.

In an interview, the former Fulham midfielder highlighted how countries like Germany are proactive in scouting young players with German roots and nurturing them for the national team.

He expressed his frustration at seeing players of Ghanaian descent, such as Kobbie Mainoo, Jeremy Doku, Jeremie Frimpong, and Nico Williams, representing European countries instead of Ghana.

He shared his experiences from scouting trips in the USA, where he observed other countries’ efforts to identify and develop young talent with roots in their respective nations. He noted that Germany, in particular, actively scouts young players with German heritage and brings them into the fold early to foster a sense of national identity.

“I have been in the USA for scouting jobs multiple times and I have seen expatriates also joining to scout players, but they are doing that for their country. I know Germany is doing that.

“I was told that they are doing that because they want to bring all young players with roots in Germany and, after identifying them, they will camp them. By doing that, the players will know where they are coming from” Boateng told Kingdom FM.

He continued, “In Ghana, we don’t know how to do these things, and we keep losing players because we are not paying attention to how we can get them. How can we lose players like Kobbie Mainoo, Jeremy Doku, Jeremie Frimpong, and Nico Williams? Inaki is playing for us, but why couldn’t we get Nico? Because he is good and talented, Spain blocked his chances of playing for Ghana” Boateng lamented.

Boateng criticized the GFA’s reactive approach, emphasizing the need to engage players and their families from a young age rather than waiting until they have already begun their professional careers.

“We must do a lot more, and we shouldn’t wait until they are grown up and playing before we start talking to them. By then, their parents will not even allow it because we were not there from the beginning, so why now?” he quizzed.

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Nyantakyi is celebrated as one of the most successful presidents of the GFA.

In an interview, Boateng lamented the premature end of Nyantakyi’s tenure, which was cut short by the Number 12 exposé by undercover journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, a scandal that tarnished Nyantakyi’s reputation.

He believes that under Nyantakyi’s leadership, Ghanaian football would have continued to flourish.

“I wish Nyantakyi could oversee Ghana Football again. His track record speaks for itself, and it’s unfortunate how things turned out,” he told Kingdom FM.

“I cannot say whether the accusations against him were true, as I wasn’t present. However, I know he made significant contributions to the sport,” he added.

Boateng, however, criticized the current administration led by Kurt Okraku, insisting that they have failed to improve the standard of the game.

He criticized the administration’s handling of criticism, saying, “I have reservations about Kurt Okraku’s leadership because they seem to take criticism personally. Constructive feedback is essential for the improvement of our sports, and it should be welcomed.

“In one meeting, he mentioned employing many former footballers in national teams, but for me, competence should be the priority, not just being a former player. Our game is not in good shape, and there’s a lot to do. We need to start from the grassroots because the foundation is crucial,” he added.

During Nyantakyi’s presidency, Ghana achieved significant milestones, including winning the U-20 World Cup and making its debut in the World Cup in Germany in 2006.

The Black Stars also participated in the 2010 and 2014 World Cups in South Africa and Brazil, respectively.

The team also played in the 2010 and 2015 AFCON finals but failed to clinch the trophy.

His comments come following Black Meteors’ early elimination at the ongoing U-23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

Ghana played out a 1-1 stalemate against Guinea on Friday night, a result which meant they finished third in Group A with four points, exiting the competition on the goal difference rule. Ibrahim Tanko and his charges opened their campaign with a win hard-fought win against Congo before a humiliating defeat against Morocco.

They add to the recent failures of the various national teams under the guidance of the Kurt Okraku-led GFA administration.

“It’s about time we start being fair and tough in our decision. We haven’t done enough to be at the Olympic Games,” the former Black Stars midfielder told Joy FM.

“The GFA think they have answers to everything. Our youth football is collapsing and it’s about time we stop thinking about Black Stars.”

The Right to Dream Academy scout also revealed the GFA members influence selection at various national team levels because they own players.

“The FA owns a lot of players in the national teams and that’s why we don’t perform,” he continued.

“When CK [Akonnor] was there, the FA were telling him the kind of players he should call and when things didn’t go well they kicked him out.

“For me, I think the GFA don’t know what they are doing. I don’t think the GFA school will help Ghana football.”

Boateng played through the ranks at the national team before advancing to feature for the senior team on several occasions.

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Hughton has signed a 21-month contract and replaced Otto Addo. George Boateng and Masud Didi Dramani are his assistants.

The former Premier League manager recorded his first win as Black Stars coach against Angola in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] qualifiers before recording a 1-1 drawn game in Luanda in the return leg.

Boateng believes that Hughton has the qualities needed to lead the Ghanaian team but needs support due to his lack of coaching experience in Africa and as a national team coach.

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“He needs support because he is not too experienced on the African terrain. He needs support from the media, and the GFA should not interfere with his job. He should be left to work independently and be allowed to call his choice of players because you can see that he is a very genuine coach so he needs to get that freedom to work so we can see how it goes,” Boateng told Asempa FM on Sports Nite Show.

“Chris Hughton has coached in the Premier League on several occasions, and we are all aware of his capabilities. His profile is really good, but since this is his first national team job, he needs our support,” he added.

Hughton will hope to wrap up the final two games of the qualifiers with wins against Madagascar and the Central African Republic.

The 64-year-old will hope to lead the Black Stars to end the country’s 41 years AFCON trophyless jinx in Ivory Coast next year. 

Williams, who switched nationality last year June is yet to find the back of the net for the senior national team.

The 28-year-old featured in Ghana’s all three games at the Mundial in Qatar without a goal.

In the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] qualifiers against Angola, the Athletic Bilbao forward played both games but was unable to find the back of the net.

But the former Fulham attacker has called for patience for the Spanish-born striker.

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“I think Inaki Williams and other players who switched nationality don’t understand African football. They don’t know what is going on here. Our style and others. So, I think Inaki needs time but ask yourself if we can be patient with him,” he said on Asempa FM‘s Sports Nite show.

“To me, we shouldn’t depend on these kinds of players because they don’t understand our style,” he added.

Ghana will return to action in June to take on Central Africa Republic and Madagascar and Inaki Williams will hope to end his goal drought in the final round of games in the 2023 AFCON qualifiers.

Ahead of the CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] qualifiers against Algeria, the former AS Roma was named in Ibrahim Tanko’s squad but the 20-year-old rejected the call-up.

Reacting to Afena-Gyan’s decision to turn down the call-up, Boateng explained that he fully supports the decision of the player.

According to him, GFA has poorly treated the promising forward after he was axed from the squad despite playing a vital role in the country’s qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“I really think Ghanaians haven’t been fair to that boy so right now that he has turned down an invitation, I support it. Football now is not about going to the field and performing a lot of things adds up that people don’t care about and only blame players that they don’t perform,” the former Fulham midfielder told Asempa FM on Sports Nite Show.

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“Football is about the brain so if you don’t have a sound mindset you can never perform. In our two matches against Nigeria, he was our best player. He was the player that was fighting four Nigerian defenders because we were playing one top. He did everything possible, we qualified for the World Cup and they didn’t invite him and now they want him for under 23 and his management said he is not ready,” he stated.

Mr. Boateng urged GFA to send a delegation to Italy to convince the player to play for the Black Meteors if the country is determined to qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris.

“If the FA thinks about him and his mental issues, they have to take a plane there and talk to him so that he feels important. This under-23 AFCON that they want to go, they will need him if they want to win. They have to call him not on phone but by going to see him in person. He needs to feel that we care about him because these are the things we do that make us lose good players. He is a young player so if you do that to him, then you are killing him. The FA know the right thing to do”, Derek Boateng said.

Ghana became the third African country to play in the quarterfinal of the Fifa World Cup in South Africa under the Serbian trainer.

Many Ghanaians credited Rajevac’s tactical genius for the country’s impressive performance.

However, Derek Boateng said it will be an error for the Milovan Rajevac to be credited for their success.

According to him, all his teammates who played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa knew the Serbian was not good.

The former Fulham midfielder also said he was surprised when the Serbian was re-hired to coach the Black Stars in 2021.

“The expatriate coaches we played under them were all clueless. The likes of Milovan Rajevac and other coaches who came into this country were all clueless,” he told Asempa FM on Sports Nite Show.

“During the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, if you check our starting XI and the players who were on the bench as substitutes, it was just amazing. I was on the bench, Stephen Appiah, Quncy Owusu Abayie, Sulley Muntari and other players were all on the bench and at that time, we were all playing big teams in Europe so it was not Milovan Rajevac who did any magic or knew tactics. These coaches did not help us.

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“During our training, we the players knew what we want. We were training like a matchday because we all wanted to get into the starting XI so there was tough competition among ourselves so Milovan never helped us.

“Recently Milo came back to coach the Black Stars and I knew he will fail because he is clueless. We had good players at the time he came and we were ready to die for the country so it was not any coach who helped to achieve that feast in South Africa,” he added.

Milovan Rajevac who was a hero in 2010 after leading Ghana to the AFCON final and World Cup quarter-finals but in 2022 became the worst coach to have led the Black Stars to an AFCON tournament.

The Black Stars in 2022, exited the AFCON in Cameroon without winning a single game, which was the first in the history of the country.

The former Fulham middle man speaking in an interview said players declined to warm up because they believed current Black Stars captain, Andre Ayew was using black magic.

He indicated that, the team only had 15 minutes warm-up because some of the players vowed not to go on the pitch before Andre ‘Dede’ Ayew.

“Before that game, we had 45 minutes to do the warm-up. The Zambians were on the field and we were also supposed to come out. Kwasi Appiah was the one to take us through the warm-up and he was standing at the entrance of the tunnel. I came on the field along with Jonathan Mensah or somebody else. We were standing and waiting for the rest of the players. Everyone was saying they will not go on the field first until Andre Ayew comes out,” Boateng said.

Speaking GTV Sports + in an interview, the former Panathinaikos midfielder said some of the players believed they have been bewitched.

“For about 15 to 20 minutes, we were just standing there without doing the warm-up. So the only warm-up we did in the game was for about 10 to 15 minutes. A lot of the players said they will not be the first to go on the field until Dede Ayew did.” he added.

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The midfielder said the squad regretted their actions after the defeat.

Derek Boateng is convinced the current issues in the Black Stars is due to such unsubstantiated allegations which if not dealt with, will continue to affect players.

It will be recalled that Ghana coach Goran Stevanovic caused a major uproar after claiming some players had used witchcraft against their teammates at the 2012 AFCON.

Ghana subsequently lost by 1-0 with Mayuka scoring the only in the 77th minute.

This emerged after the Accra Metropolitan Assembly [AMA] published footage of the incident.

The former Fulham and Getafe midfielder was among the 35 drivers including security officers who were arrested during a speed enforcement exercise by the Accra Central Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service in collaboration with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) on the Olusegun Obasanjo Way and J. A. Kufuor Avenue in Accra.

The video showed Boateng trying to plead his case with the officers, who refused to listen.

The arresting officer, who was unwilling to listen to the player’s appeals, told him that there would be no “selective justice.”

Boateng then directed his pleas to the Accra Mayor, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, who was there to observe the proceedings.

The mayor can, however, be heard telling Boateng that he had no jurisdiction there and could not direct the police to let him leave.

The Police on duty did not listen to his pleas of “being a national asset” and insisted that he drove his black Range Rover Sport vehicle to the Nima Police Station.

Upset with how he was being treated, Boateng said: “I’m a national asset so I cannot run [away].”

“But the way you guys are treating me, it’s like I’m a stranger or something. I’m not going anywhere,” he added.

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Boateng was later seen re-entering his car and driving away after the MTTD officer also sat in the vehicle.

A number of the persons detained were driving at speeds above the 50 km/hr limit permitted in the city.

According to the AMA, 31 of the arrested drivers were later sent to the Nima Police Station and processed for court.

The 31 drivers were fined between GHS480 to GHS660 amounting to GH8,460, whilst four are still pending before the court, although it was not stated whether the former Black Stars player had already been sentenced.

Boateng played over 40 times for the Black Stars and was selected in Ghana’s squads for the 2006 and 2010 World Cup tournaments.

He scored a goal for the country. 

He also went on to play for 13 European clubs including Panathinaikos, FC Cologne and Beitar Jerusalem after his youth career with Accra-based Liberty Professionals.

Boateng was among 35 drivers who were arrested for flouting various road traffic regulations.

A statement from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) said the operation was carried out in collaboration with the Accra Central Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service.

The drivers were arrested driving above the legally specified speed limit of 50 km/hr at which a vehicle could drive in the city with the Laser Cam 4-speed detection device donated to the Accra Central MTTD by the BIGRS through the AMA.

Notable among those arrested during the operation were former Black Stars player, Derick Boateng and security officers whose identities were not immediately known.

The AMA further stated that Boateng and the other arrested drivers were fined between GHc480 to GHc660 as a penalty for their actions.

Speaking in an interview after the exercise, Metropolitan Chief Executive of Accra, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, cautioned motorists to comply with the 50km/h and 30km/h speed limits in urban and school areas as stipulated in Ghana Road Traffic Regulations (L.I.2180) when plying the city’s roads.

The exercise by the Accra Central MTTD of the Ghana Police Service, in collaboration with the AMA and the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety was also on the Olusegun Obasanjo Way and J.A Kufuor Avenue in Accra. 

Boateng played for the Black Stars between 2001 and 2013, having also helped the Black Satellites earn runners-up medal at the 2001 U-20 FIFA World Cup.

He played in the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup staged in Germany and South Africa respectively.

The 38-year-old went on to play at the Africa Cup of Nations and FIFA World Cup for Ghana before hanging his boots after earning over 40 caps for the national team.

He played for Fulham, Getafe among other top European clubs.