The fans of Black Stars, a group of passionate supporters of the Ghana national football team, have congratulated the players on their qualification for the fifth time in the global show piece, FIFA World Cup.
The team secured their spot after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Comoros, thanks to Tottenham FC winger Mohamed Kudus’ second half goal that sealed the qualification in the last group match at the Accra sports stadium.
The match which was played in Group I of the African World Cup qualifiers, saw Ghana emerged as victors , with 25 points to top the table while other group opponents such as Madagascar with 19, Mali -15, Comoros-15, Central African Republic- 5 with Chard having only 1 points after nine rounds of matches during the periods.
The Black Stars after making Word Cup appearance for the first time in 2006 in Germany also managed to play in 2010 edition in South Africa, 2014 in Brazil, and 2020 in Qatar, but failed to qualify for 2018 edition in Russia.
The team has now joined other nine African countries which include Senegal, Cape Verde, Morocco, Algeria, South Africa, Egypt, Tunisia and Ivory Coast for the nine available automatic spots.
Some fans of Black Stars at Keta, known for their unwavering support of the team, praised the players for their dedication and commitment to the cause throughout the qualification matches, which was characterised by many setbacks.
Mr. John Dodoe, one die-hard Black Stars supporter, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, commended the team’s coaching staff, led by Otto Addo, for their tactical genius and guidance throughout the qualifiers.
“It is the fact that many Ghanaians do not like tactical approaches by the coach, but we must commend that the coaching staff’s decisions and strategies played a crucial role in our success,” he said.
He thanked all Ghanaians for their unwavering support, which motivated the team to push beyond their limits, adding that “the presence of all fans at the stadium and the fervent cheering were instrumental in boosting the team’s morale for the greatest achievement.”
Madam Joyce Agbedanu, another fan, told the GNA that the team’s qualification for the World Cup demonstrated the talent and resilience of Ghanaian footballers and expressed pride in representing Ghana on the global stage and promised to continue supporting the team in their quest for World Cup glory.
“I am so much optimistic that this time around, we are not going to add to the numbers, our impact will be felt, we will go beyond what we did in South African in 2010, Black Stars will win the world cup 2026.”
She said the qualification would boost the economy of the country with businesses and stakeholders who anticipated increased revenue from sponsorships, merchandise sales, and tourism among others and the team’s participation in the World Cup would also provide a platform for Ghanaian talent to shine on the global stage.
Other fans urged the players to build on their momentum and continue working hard to make the nation proud during the tournament which would be co-hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico is expected to
The team’s next challenge will be the World Cup tournament, where they will face stiff competition from other top teams from around the world with many fans expressing confident that the team would rise to the occasion and make a lasting impression on the global stage.
Meanwhile, other sports enthusiast believed that Ghana still needs more experienced and talented players to make a formidable team ahead of the world cup, while some also expressed disappointment about the team’s inability to qualify for 2025 African Cup of Nations which would be hosted in Morocco.
Many fans were also disappointed about the coaching experience of Otto Addo and called for more experienced and tactical minded coach to lead the team to USA, Canada and Mexico.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup was scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across the United States, Canada, and Mexico with group stages beginning on June 11 to 27, while round of 32 matches would be played from June 28 to July 3, 2026.
Round of 16 matches were slated on July 4 to 7, 2026, quarterfinals, July 9 to 11, semi-final, July 14 to 15, third Place playoff, July 18 with final expected to be played on July 19, 2026.
The tournament would feature 48 teams, expanded from 32, and will be hosted by 16 cities in the three North American countries.
GNA
