As part of our Language of Soccer World Cup series, The Athletic is speaking to supporters of all 48 nations competing at the 2026 edition to capture their unique football culture, distilled into a single phrase. You can read the articles in one place here.
Bring back the love.
In 2019, Ghana’s football association asked its fans to ‘bring back the love’. It was an attempt to rebuild a bond between the country and its national team, and to restore faith in the uplifting power of football.
“We just came out of The Anas Expose: Number 12, when a lot of corruption, mismanagement and malpractice were prevalent in our football,” explains Ernest Addo, a Ghana fan based in capital city Accra. “Referees, match officials, players and top officials were indicted for their involvement in this, where Kwesi Nyantakyi was unceremoniously deposed as the (GFA — Ghana Football Association) president.”
Football in Ghana is a powerful unifying force in a country of more than 30 million people, multiple languages, and dozens of distinct ethnic groups.
From 2006 to 2015, Ghana’s national team were a formidable presence on the world stage. On their World Cup debut in 2006, they beat the Czech Republic and the United States en route to a loss to Brazil in the last 16.
As the host nation of the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), they defeated fierce rivals Nigeria on their way to the semi-finals. In 2010, fans chanted “Let them come” as the world travelled to South Africa for the first World Cup on African soil, and Ghana were the only African nation to reach the round of 16. They played a barnstorming game against the Americans before falling to Uruguay in an infamous quarter-final that made Luis Suarez persona non grata across the nation. Ghana lost the final of the 2010 AFCON and were eliminated in the semi-finals of the 2012 edition.
A near-decade of brilliance from the likes of Asamoah Gyan, Sulley Muntari, Stephen Appiah and Kwadwo Asamoah led to Ghana becoming the neutrals’ favourite across multiple tournaments, but their golden generation failed to win any senior silverware.
The 2014 World Cup brought a third match-up with the United States but Ghana were unable to complete a trilogy of victories, and their tournament ended in chaotic fashion. Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng were kicked out of the playing squad before their final group game against Portugal; multiple players boycotted training in protest over late payment of World Cup bonuses; the country’s government flew $3million (£1.8m) in cash to Brazil to resolve things. The golden generation’s last chance came in early 2015, when they lost in the AFCON final to Ivory Coast, leading to a period of soul-searching.
Fast forward to the present day, and the team are in a difficult, transitional phase. Ghana were knocked out in the group stage of the 2021 and 2023 AFCONs, then failed to qualify for the most recent edition at the turn of the year. They became set-piece juggernauts on their way to topping their group and qualifying for this World Cup, but disappointing performances during the March international break led the GFA to sack head coach Otto Addo with only 78 days until their opening World Cup match. Ghana will face Panama, England and Croatia in Group L over the coming weeks.
Ghana fans get behind their team at an Africa Cup of Nations match in January 2024 (Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty Images)
The sudden changes mean Ghanaians now approach the tournament with “a mix of indifference and optimism”, according to supporter Kwadwo Hemeng.
“Fans like to pretend we do not want anything to do with the national team until they come good, but we all have the latest jerseys ready for kick-off against Panama,” adds Hemeng. “There is now a bit of renewed optimism with a new coach coming in; the right decision could pave the path to a bright era for the Black Stars.”
Ghana failed to get out of their group at the 2022 World Cup (gallingly, they suffered another defeat by Uruguay), but were a vibrant presence in Qatar while their brief challenge lasted.
Football fans in Toronto, Boston and Philadelphia this summer are sure to fall in love with the carnival feel Ghana fans bring to every matchday. A sea of red, gold, green and black will take over public places in those cities as the Ghanaian supporters bring their drums, vuvuzelas and songs with them.
“Kakalika”, by music duo DopeNation, has been adopted as an unofficial World Cup anthem for the team and its fans. Expect to see the dance performed after any Black Star goal scored this summer.
Can we all agree @GhDopeNation has the biggest song so far in 2026 “Kakalika” ? pic.twitter.com/UsSgh6qGcD
— Kobe Boujee (@kobe_boujee88) April 1, 2026
“Football is the first thing on people’s minds when you ask ‘what is the sport of Ghana?’,” says Addo. “It’s the number one game where not only is it accessible, it’s seen as a dream. Communities pride themselves as diehard fans of the sport because it’s the gateway to ecstasy, passion, hunger and determination.
“A child’s first sporting activity is either to kick an object or to catch it. The same child can go to a pickup game in the streets during weekends, during lunchtime, and closing time after school and pretend he is on an island, living his wildest dreams playing with the best team-mates against the best of the best on the global stage.”
Football is an activity to be enjoyed together in Ghana, rather than merely something to watch on television. The majority of clubs across the nation have a strong community standing and aim to fill their parks or stadiums on matchday.
The Ghana Premier League, founded in 1958, is often dominated by two clubs: Asante Kotoko, winners of 25 titles, and their fierce rivals, Accra Hearts of Oak, 20-time champions.
League support can fall along tribal lines, with Ghana’s nine million Ashanti people typically supporting Kotoko in Kumasi, its second largest city, while the Ewe and Ga-Adangbe people living closer to the east of the country skew towards Hearts.
The English Premier League is beloved there. The village of Juaben is home to the Aston Villa supporters’ group The Ghana Lions, with their fandom tracing back to a love of the club’s former Republic of Ireland international defender Paul McGrath. Elmina — a fishing port to the south — loves Villa due to its hometown hero Nii Lamptey’s brief spell with the club in 1994. Jordan Ayew’s spell between 2015 and 2017 has strengthened the connection between Ghana and the Birmingham side.
Arsenal and Liverpool shirts are a common sight, too. As are the kits of both Manchester clubs. Chelsea’s 2005 summer signing of Ghana midfielder Michael Essien catapulted them into the national consciousness to the point where his manager there at the time, Jose Mourinho, is still a popular figure across Ghana to this day.
The attacking artistry of Mohammed Kudus and Antoine Semenyo may launch a new Ghanaian fandom of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City in the years to come. Kudus’ football career, journeying to Denmark with the Right to Dream Academy, makes him an especially popular figure among young footballers in the country.
“A man who has given the town of Nima, a suburb in Accra, a reason to be football-invested,” says Addo. “Now, most kids want their football journey to be somewhat identical to his. They know that anything is possible, everything is achievable. They, too, can have dreams and make it real.”
Nearly a decade on from its golden generation, Ghana has struggled to create a new playing squad that can go toe-to-toe with old rivals Nigeria, Uruguay and the United States.
Ghana fans watch their team take on Uruguay at the 2022 World Cup (Guus Dubbelman/Soccrates/Getty Images)
“At the World Cup, expect to see a van with a lot of patchwork,” says Hemeng, describing the Ghana team. “Something that can be OK in the hands of the right driver, but could break down on the road at any time.”
‘Bring back the love’ was the communal motto the GFA asked its fans to adopt following a difficult transitional period. It is a social media hashtag and slogan that calls for unity, but it can also create friction within the fanbase.
Ghana is obsessed with football, and its people want a team they can get behind. But outside of a thrilling two-legged 2022 World Cup qualification tie against Nigeria, there have been few standout moments from the past five years.
“A lot of money was pumped into advertising and slogans and everything, but all the team had to do was get it right on the pitch. Nothing showed more unity among Ghanaian fans than sealing qualification for the 2026 World Cup at the Accra Sports Stadium,” says Hemeng.
Ghana fans will bring the love, the drums, the music and the dance to this World Cup. Can the country’s football team, now led by the veteran manager Carlos Queiroz, bring some success along with all that?
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