The president of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG), Mr. Kwabena Yeboah, has expressed confidence in the Black Stars to qualify to the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The ace sports broadcaster made the assertion in reaction to a programme on Radio Gold, where he said about 99 per cent of the callers, including the host and panelists, had lost hope in the Black Stars’ ability to live up to expectation.
“Listening to Radio Gold this morning I felt sad. The panel and 99 per cent of callers have no hope in the Black Stars. Wow! In fact, they don’t believe Ghana will qualify for the next World Cup,” he said.
He continued: “I was shocked, really shocked when the sports presenter said emphatically that GHANA WILL NOT QUALIFY.”
Mr. Yeboah, host of Sports Highlights on GTV, expressed worry over the loss of confidence in the team by majority of Ghanaians, hoping the situation would change ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
“That’s how low many Ghanaians think of their beloved Black Stars now. Far from being a chauvinist, I’m more than confident we SHALL qualify,” he said.
He, however, sounded a note of caution to the handlers of the Black Stars team, saying: “We, however, have to alter a few things. Invitation to the team should STRICTLY BE ON MERIT. Some things have to change.”
“God has been merciful to us with the grouping. Our group is the softest of all the pairings. We should take advantage of it,” he added.
He queried why Chris Hughton, Head Coach of the Black Stars, benched Mohammed Kudus for a greater part of the game during the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
“So what was Chris Hughton thinking when he benched Kudus Mohammed for a greater part of the game against Madagascar. Our best player currently?” he asked.
“Anyway, as I indicated, if we can change a few things. I don’t have any doubt about our ability to join the world’s elite in 2026. Ghana will qualify. USA, Canada, here we come,” he concluded.
Ghana will face tough competition from teams like Madagascar, Comoros, Central African Republic, Chad, and Mali as they strive to secure qualification for the next World Cup.
The qualification format, established by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), consists of nine groups, each comprising six teams. The top team from each group will automatically secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup.
Additionally, the four best second-placed teams will participate in playoffs, with the winner of this playoff facing a team from the CONCACAF zone for a chance to claim the 10th and final spot in the tournament.
Source: Graphic online
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