2026 World Cup: England will face a determined Ghana side’ – GFA President Kurt Okraku
Ghana Football Association president Kurt Okraku says the Black Stars will be fully prepared for the challenge of facing England national football team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting the four-time African champions will arrive at the tournament with confidence and determination.
Ghana secured qualification for the global showpiece and have been drawn in a difficult Group L alongside England, 2018 finalists Croatia national football team and Panama national football team.
The Black Stars will begin their campaign against Panama before facing England and Croatia in what is expected to be one of the tournament’s most competitive groups.
Speaking during a visit to the Ghana High Commission in the United Kingdom, Okraku acknowledged the quality and experience within the England setup under manager Thomas Tuchel but stressed that Ghana would not be intimidated by the occasion.
“I think that England has a good team. We must respect the manager and the experience that he brings on board,” Okraku told Sky Sports.
“But what is also true is that they will meet a very, very competitive and determined Ghanaian side.”
The Black Stars have already stepped up preparations for the tournament, currently holding a training camp in Cardiff ahead of an international friendly against Wales national football team on June 2.
Head coach Carlos Queiroz is overseeing sessions at Dragon Park as he assesses players before naming Ghana’s final 26-man squad for the tournament, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Ghana are expected to spend a week in Wales before travelling to the United States for the next phase of their World Cup preparations.
The 2026 edition will mark Ghana’s fifth appearance at the FIFA World Cup after previous participations in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2022. Their finest moment came in South Africa in 2010, when the Black Stars reached the quarter-finals, the best performance by a Black Stars side in World Cup history.
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