Ghana is amongst the teams representing at the 2026 FIFA world Cup and expected to excel in Group L, that has England, Panama and Croatia. The four-times African champions exited at the group stage in both the 2014 and 2022 editions in Brazil and Qatar respectively, and are aiming for a stronger show this time around.
Ahead of the tournament, three times FIFA World Cup participant Michael Essien believe Ghana possess the quality to progress to the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with huge conviction the team will excel.
“I think the team has the quality to make it out of the group phase. They were disappointing in the last World Cup in Qatar, and as a Ghanaian, the nation is also expecting the boys to do well,” the former Real Madrid midfielder told talkSPORT.
Essien added that the highly anticipated clash with England will be a key fixture for fans, stressing the importance of taking each game as it comes.
“Ghana playing against England is a game everyone is looking forward to, so let’s see what they can do, but they will have to take it game by game and make sure they win.”
The Black Stars will begin their World Cup campaign against Panama on June 17 at BMO Field, before facing England on June 23 at Gillette Stadium. Their final group match comes against Croatia on June 27.
Meanwhile, the team has already arrived in the United States to continue preparations, with a final warm-up match scheduled against Jamaica on June 10.
