Former Asante Kotoko midfielder Jordan Opoku has expressed doubts about Ghana’s ability to make a strong impact at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will feature an expanded format of 48 teams. Ghana successfully booked one of Africa’s nine automatic qualification slots.
The Black Stars have been drawn in Group L alongside England, Croatia, and Panama. Their group-stage fixtures will see them open against Panama on June 17, face England on June 23, and conclude with a clash against Croatia on June 27.
Speaking in an interview with Koforidua-based Bryt FM, Jordan Opoku urged caution in expectations, stressing that the current state of the team makes it difficult to anticipate a strong performance at the tournament.
“It will be very difficult for the Black Stars to perform at the 2026 World Cup. We have a new coach (Carlos Queiroz) who still needs time to implement his philosophy, style of play and preferred players. In my opinion, it will take time for him to fully settle into the system.
We must manage our expectations heading into the World Cup because we are not there yet. We should not expect too much from the team at this stage. The focus should be on building for the future and creating a solid team,” he said.
Ghana will be making its fifth appearance at the FIFA World Cup, having previously featured in 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2022. Their best performance remains the 2010 edition in South Africa, where they reached the quarterfinals.
