Black Stars lacked chemistry at World Cup - Kofi Adams

Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams has acknowledged that Ghana's Black Stars lacked cohesion during their campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, attributing the team's struggles to limited time together before the tournament.

The Black Stars made their fifth appearance at football's biggest global event in North America and reached the knockout stage for the first time since the 2010 edition.

However, their campaign ended in the Round of 32 following a narrow defeat to Colombia.

Speaking about the team's performance, the Buem MP explained that the squad had little opportunity to build chemistry after securing qualification for the tournament.

“We were at the World Cup with players who did not have the opportunity to play together beyond the qualifiers,” Mr Adams said.

Despite the challenges, Ghana opened their campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Panama before earning an impressive goalless draw against England.

The Black Stars then suffered a 2-1 defeat to Croatia in their final Group C match but still advanced to the Round of 32 after finishing among the best third-placed teams.

Ghana's hopes of progressing further were ended by a 1-0 loss to Colombia in the knockout stage, bringing their World Cup journey to a close.

The Black Stars will now turn their attention to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Ghana have been drawn in Group C alongside Côte d'Ivoire, Somalia and The Gambia, with the qualification campaign set to begin in September.