2026 World Cup: Black Stars capable of achieving something special - Yaw Acheampong

Former Ghana international Yaw Acheampong Joachim

Former Ghana international Yaw Acheampong Joachim believes the Black Stars have what it takes to exceed expectations and emerge as one of the surprise packages at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Ghana will be making their fifth appearance at football’s biggest tournament and will come up against Panama, England and Croatia in Group L.

Despite the tough draw, Acheampong is confident that coach Carlos Queiroz’s side can make a strong impact at the tournament.

According to him, he has seen significant progress in the national team and warned critics against writing off Ghana’s chances.

“I can see clear improvement in the Black Stars under coach Carlos Queiroz. People should not underestimate this team because they are capable of achieving something special at the World Cup,” he told Koforidua-based Swiit FM.

Acheampong also predicted that the tournament could produce several unexpected results, insisting that pre-World Cup friendly matches should not be used as the sole measure of a team’s strength.

“There will be many surprises during the World Cup. Friendly matches are mainly used by coaches to test players, fine-tune tactics and prepare for the competition itself. That is why results in those games do not always reflect what a team can do when the tournament begins,” he added.

The four-time African champions will begin their campaign against Panama at BMO Field on June 17 before facing England at Gillette Stadium on June 23. Their final group-stage fixture will be against Croatia on June 27.

Under the leadership of Queiroz, Ghana will be aiming to progress beyond the group stage and reach the knockout rounds for the first time since the 2010 World Cup.