Ghana’s first game at a World Cup ended in a 2-0 defeat to Italy in Hanover. After the loss, several Ghana players trudged through the mixed zone for interviews and conceded they had been overawed by the occasion.
Skipper Stephen Appiah told RFI: “You will see the real face of Ghana in the next match.”
The 25-year-old appeared unperturbed that he and his teammates would face a Czech Republic side that included Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, as well as Tomas Rosicky and Pavel Nedved, who had been in strong form for Arsenal and Juventus respectively.
In the second minute of the game at the WM Stadion in Cologne, Asamoah Gyan became the country’s first player to score at a World Cup. Sulley Muntari added a second after 82 minutes.
Ghana went on to beat the United States 2-1 to reach the last 16, where they lost 3-0 to defending champions Brazil.
Missed penalty
In 2010 in South Africa, Ghana came through the group stage and the last 16 to reach the quarter-finals. Gyan missed a penalty in the last minute of extra time against Uruguay at Soccer City in Johannesburg that would have put Ghana ahead. Though he scored in the subsequent shoot-out, his teammates John Mensah and Dominic Adiyiah missed their kicks and Uruguay prevailed 4-2.
In an interview with Ghanaian broadcaster TV3 in April 2020, Gyan said: “Sometimes I feel like the world should go back again so I can redeem myself, but I know this is something that will haunt me for the rest of my life. I went there to save my country, but I ended up being the villain.”
Third consecutive World Cup
In their third consecutive appearance at the World Cup in 2014, Ghana went out at the group stage following defeats to the United States and Portugal.
In 2022 in Qatar, they again exited after the group stage. A double from the then West Ham United midfielder Mohamed Kudus was the highlight of a 3-2 win over South Korea in Al Rayyan.
Kudus, who moved to Tottenham Hotspur in July 2025, will miss the 2026 tournament through injury.
Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz has appointed Jordan Ayew as captain. The squad will include Manchester City striker Antoine Semenyo.
Queiroz was appointed in April to replace Otto Addo, who had been in charge at the 2022 World Cup and had also steered the team through African qualifying. He joined less than a month after leaving his post as Oman coach, having failed to guide them to the 2026 tournament.
“It is a mission. And I am ready to give everything of my experience and knowledge once again, in service of the game and the happiness of people,” Queiroz said.
Ghana begin their Group L campaign against Panama in Toronto on 17 June, face England six days later in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and conclude the group stage against Croatia in Philadelphia on 27 June.
Under the 48-team format, the top two from each of the 12 groups, plus the eight best third-placed sides, will advance to a round of 32.
