Asamoah Gyan: Ghana under pressure but optimistic ahead of 2026 World Cup

Former Black Stars striker Asamoah Gyan says confidence is growing in Ghana ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, though he has cautioned that expectations will place added pressure on the team.

Ghana will compete at the 23rd edition of the tournament, which will be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Black Stars are targeting a stronger showing after group-stage exits in both 2014 in Brazil and 2022 in Qatar.

Despite those setbacks, Gyan remains hopeful about the team’s prospects, while acknowledging the weight of national expectation on the players.

“Ghanaians are optimistic, but there is pressure back home,” Gyan, who remains Ghana’s all-time leading goal scorer and Africa’s top goal scorer in the World Cup, said on SuperSport.

The former Sunderland forward, who remains Ghana’s all-time leading scorer and Africa’s highest scorer in World Cup history, expressed confidence in the team’s prospects while wishing African nations well at the tournament.

“Let’s see what happens, but I hope all the African teams will do well, and I wish them well,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Black Stars have arrived in the United States to continue their World Cup preparations, with a final friendly scheduled against Jamaica on June 10.

Ghana, set for their fifth World Cup appearance, have been drawn in Group L alongside England, Croatia and Panama.

They will open their campaign against Panama on June 17 at BMO Field, before facing England on June 23 at Gillette Stadium, and rounding off the group stage against Croatia on June 27.

The Black Stars will be hoping to progress beyond the group stage for the first time since their historic quarter-final run at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.