Roger De Sa reveals biggest challenge behind Ghana’s 2026 World Cup campaign

By Jamaldeen Wiayuka July 11, 2026

Black Stars assistant coach Roger De Sa has revealed that the extensive travel between host cities was one of the biggest obstacles Ghana faced during their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign.

Although the Black Stars impressed by progressing beyond the group stage, De Sa said the demanding travel schedule across multiple cities and time zones placed a significant physical burden on the players throughout the tournament.

Ghana opened their Group G campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto before travelling to Boston for a clash with England. They then moved to Philadelphia for their final group-stage match, where they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Croatia.

The West Africans advanced to the Round of 32 but saw their World Cup journey come to an end in Kansas City following a narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia.

Speaking to 947’s MSW, the South African coach praised the organisation of the tournament but admitted the constant movement between venues proved to be the toughest aspect of the competition.

“You know World Cups are always special; you go to one or two of them, and they always get better,” De Sa said.

“I thought it was a fantastic tournament, very well organised. Great stadiums, great hotels, everything has been good. Good crowds, the stadiums are full.”

However, he added that the long distances between host cities made recovery more difficult for players.

“If there was one difficulty, I think it was the travel. The cities were quite distant sometimes, in different time zones. So, that does have an effect on all the teams. The travel is a bit taxing on the players.”

With their World Cup campaign now behind them, Ghana’s attention turns to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, which get underway in September.

The Black Stars have been drawn in Group C alongside Ivory Coast, Somalia and Gambia as they bid to secure qualification for the continent’s premier football tournament.