A section of Ghanaian soccer fans have decided to be modest in their expectations of the Black Stars, regarding their qualification to the joint USA, Canada and Mexico 2026 FIFA World Cup (W/C) after last week’s qualifying draw.
Ghana was paired with Mali, Madagascar, Central Africa Republic (CAR), Comoros and Chad in Group I at the official draw held in Abidjan last week.
With four appearances at the tournament in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2022, Ghana would be hoping to make a fifth appearance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Despite the consistency in playing at the Mundial, both football and non-football enthusiasts have asserted that it would not be a walk in the park for Ghana, considering the current state of football in the country and the fact that most countries on the continent have developed.
These assertions were made when the Times Sports engaged fans in separate interviews, seeking their views on the chances of Ghana to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be played across three North American nations, namely, United States of America, Mexico and Canada.
According them, the performance of the Black Stars had not been encouraging enough to raise any hope of qualifying from their group.
Others also noted that the Malians would pose a serious threat to the Black Stars, considering how poorly Ghana had performed against them at the age levels over the past couple of years.
Mr Charles Andoh, a Retailor at Tema Station who spoke with the Times Sports, noted that there was a lot of issues that needed to be addressed in terms of player selection, dedication and commitment from the players and administration.
Moreover, Mr Ernest Martey, a Car Dealer, said “it is sad to see the current state of our football in general. It is not only about the Black Stars but all the national teams, right from U-17, U-21, and U-23. When you look at how other countries are performing, then it tells us that we need to sit up and do the right things.”
Meanwhile, others posited that the Black Stars could qualify from their group to make their fifth appearance at the Mundial if the right structures were put in place.
For instance, Ms Gifty Antwi explained that although the current state of football had not been encouraging, which had seen the Ghana Football Association (GFA) come under a lot of criticisms, the Black Stars could make a positive impression in the qualifiers.
She therefore called on the GFA to collaborate with the government and other corporate organisations to garner support for the Black Stars as they prepare for the qualifiers.
Mr Fredrick Asante, a Telephone Seller at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle area, was particular about the players and urged them to be dedicated and committed to the course.
Mr Henry Yeboah Otoo, a Chartered Accountant, told the Times Sports that qualification from the group was not beyond the Black Stars.
According to him, what the technical team needed to do was to assemble the right caliber of players to play.
“We must ensure that we select the right players. This is not a stage to be trying players. We should go for the best to come and play. The coach should also leave out players that are not committed and ignore calls from FA executives to invite players he feels are not good enough.”
The qualification campaign which begins on November 13, would witness a total of 54 African countries who would battle it out at the group stage, with winners of the nine groups gaining automatic qualification.
However, one team would be expected to qualify for the Mundial through the FIFA play-off tournament.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY
