In the draw held in Ivory Coast on Thursday, July 13, 2023, the Ghanaian national team, the Black Stars, were assigned to Group I for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Ghana will be competing against Madagascar, Comoros, Central African Republic, Chad, and Mali in their quest to secure a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The tournament is set to be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The qualification process established by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) involves nine groups, each consisting of six teams. The top nine teams from these groups will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Furthermore, the four best second-placed teams will engage in playoffs, with the winner of this playoff facing a team from the CONCACAF zone. The victorious team will secure the tenth and final spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The qualifiers are scheduled to take place over a span of two years, from November 2023 to November 2025. The Black Stars will play their first and second matchdays in November 2023, followed by the third and fourth matchdays in June 2024. Matches will continue from the fifth to the tenth matchday throughout 2025.
Having qualified for four out of the last five World Cups, the Black Stars will be aiming to make their fifth appearance in the prestigious tournament.
