Former Vice President of the Ghana Football Association, George Afriyie, has urged the Ghana national football team to concentrate on securing victory against Panama national football team in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, stressing that a strong start will be crucial for Ghana’s chances in the competition.
The Black Stars have been drawn in Group L of the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by United States, Canada and Mexico. Ghana will begin their campaign against Panama on June 17 before facing tougher opponents in subsequent matches.
Speaking in an interview with Graphic Sports, Afriyie emphasized that winning the opening game would place Ghana in a strong position to challenge their other group opponents. According to him, securing three points against Panama could boost the team’s confidence and allow them to approach their matches against stronger teams with a more positive mindset.
“First of all, we need to win against Panama to position ourselves to either win or pick a point against England or beat Croatia or pick a point,” Afriyie explained. “Whichever way, it can propel us if we are to make a mark and go beyond the group stage.”
The experienced football administrator further noted that although Ghana’s other group opponents—England national football team and Croatia national football team—are ranked higher in the FIFA rankings, international tournaments can often produce unexpected outcomes.
“I expect us to beat Panama. The first match is very important and, among our group opponents, trust me, our best bet is against Panama. We all know England and Croatia are ahead of us in terms of FIFA rankings, but national team football is quite tricky,” he added.
After their opening match against Panama, the Black Stars will take on England on June 23 before concluding their group stage campaign against Croatia on June 27. These matches are expected to determine Ghana’s chances of progressing to the knockout stages of the tournament.
As part of preparations for the World Cup, the Black Stars are scheduled to regroup in March for a training camp that will include international friendly matches against the Austria national football team and the Germany national football team. These matches will allow the technical team to assess the squad and finalize strategies ahead of the competition.
The team will also face the Mexico national football team in May before playing their final warm-up match against the Wales national football team on June 2.
During the tournament, Ghana will be based at Bryant University, where the squad will train and prepare for their matches. The Black Stars will be hoping to deliver a stronger performance after suffering group-stage eliminations at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
With preparations underway and expectations rising among supporters, Afriyie’s remarks underline the importance of focus, discipline and determination as Ghana aims to make a meaningful impact at the global showpiece.
