Former Ghana Football Association Vice President, George Afriyie, has expressed strong belief that the Ghana national football team can cause a major upset against England national football team at the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup if the team finds its rhythm and prepares properly.
The highly anticipated tournament, which will be jointly hosted by United States, Canada and Mexico, will see Ghana making its fifth appearance on football’s biggest stage. The Black Stars have been drawn in Group L alongside England, Panama and Croatia.
Speaking in an interview with Graphic Sports, Afriyie acknowledged that the clash with England will be a difficult encounter but insisted that the Ghanaian side has the potential to surprise the European giants if the players are well prepared both mentally and physically. According to him, proper preparation, strong motivation and unity within the camp could give Ghana the edge needed to challenge the English side.
“I don’t see it as an easy game for us, but if we get our rhythm right, everything is well in camp, the team is well prepared physically, psychologically and motivationally, and the boys are in the right frame of mind when they step onto the pitch, they can cause an upset against England,” Afriyie explained.
Ghana will begin their World Cup campaign against Panama national football team on June 17 before facing England in their second group match on June 23. The Black Stars will then conclude their group stage fixtures against Croatia national football team on June 27.
Afriyie also expressed confidence that Ghana can secure a victory in their opening match against Panama, which could provide the momentum needed heading into the crucial encounter with England. A strong start in the tournament, he believes, will boost the team’s morale and increase their chances of advancing from the group stage.
As part of preparations for the tournament, the Black Stars are scheduled to hold a training camp in March, where they will play international friendly matches against Austria national football team and Germany national football team. These matches are expected to help the technical team assess the squad and fine-tune tactics ahead of the competition.
The team will continue their build-up with another friendly against Mexico national football team in May before concluding their preparations with a final warm-up game against Wales national football team on June 2. During the tournament, Ghana will be based at Bryant University, which will serve as the team’s training and accommodation base throughout the competition.
The Black Stars will head into the 2026 World Cup determined to improve on their recent performances after suffering group-stage eliminations at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. With a new generation of players emerging and a renewed focus on rebuilding the national team, expectations among Ghanaian fans are growing ahead of the global showpiece.
Afriyie’s comments have sparked optimism among supporters who believe that with the right strategy, discipline and confidence, the Black Stars could once again produce memorable performances on the world stage and possibly replicate the success of their historic run to the quarter-finals at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
As preparations intensify, all eyes will be on the Black Stars to see whether they can rise to the challenge and deliver a strong showing in North America when the tournament kicks off later this year.
