Ghana striker Antoine Semenyo has labelled the Black Stars group ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as ‘tough one’, but remained optimistic of a good showing.
The Black Stars will head into the global showpiece under new coach Carlos Queiroz, who took charge following the departure of Otto Addo.
The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, and will be jointly hosted by sixteen cities—eleven in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada.
‘I’m looking forward to it’
Ghana’s World Cup campaign begins against Panama on June 17 in Toronto, before tougher fixtures against England and Croatia in what is expected to be a highly competitive group.
“It’s going to be tough, but yeah, I’m looking forward to it,” Semenyo told ‘In The Mixer’ podcast.
“It’s a tough group because you can’t underestimate Panama. You think it’s easy, but it’s not that easy. It will be a tough game; they won’t be a pushover.
“Croatia and England are obviously top teams. Trying to get out of the group is what we want essentially, but it’s not going to be easy at all.”
Ghana previously reached quarters
Semenyo added: “I imagine [my family will be watching me in the States], yeah. Mum and dad will be there, for sure. Uncles and aunties, they will probably be there too to be honest. There’ll be loads of them.
“In Ghana, the expectation is that every ball I touch has to be in the back of the net,” he explained. “If it’s not, you’re crap. That’s how they are.
“They love football over there, football is everything, so when we don’t do well, it’s a meltdown. There’s a lot of pressure.”
Ghana have previously reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup in 2010 — the best performance by an African team at the time — and will be hoping to make a renewed impact in 2026.
For now, the focus is firmly on Queiroz, whose immediate task is clear: to mould a competitive team capable of navigating a difficult group and restoring belief in the Black Stars.
