Former Ghana international Laryea Kingston has called for the selection of Ghana’s strongest possible squad as the Ghana national football team prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Black Stars will take part in the global tournament, which will be co-hosted by United States, Canada and Mexico, marking Ghana’s fifth appearance at football’s biggest stage.

‎Drawn in Group L, Ghana will face the Panama national football team, England national football team and Croatia national football team in what promises to be a challenging group.

Kingston believes head coach Otto Addo must rely on players who are currently performing at the highest level if the team is to compete strongly at the tournament.

“The World Cup is a top-level competition, so as a country we need all our best players to compete well,” Kingston told the Daily Graphic.

Ghana will open their campaign against Panama on 17 June before facing England on 23 June. Their final group match will be against Croatia on 27 June.

As part of preparations for the tournament, the Black Stars are scheduled to regroup for friendly matches against the Austria national football team and the Germany national football team in March. A warm-up match against the Mexico national football team is also planned for May, then a final friendly with Wales in June.

The Ghana Football Association has confirmed that the squad will be based at Bryant University in the United States throughout the competition.

After group-stage exits at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the Black Stars will be aiming to deliver a stronger performance when the tournament returns to North America.