2026 World Cup: Black Stars exceeded our expectations - President Mahama

President of the Republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, has praised the Black Stars for their impressive showing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting the team performed beyond expectations despite their early exit from the tournament.

Ghana’s campaign ended at the Round of 32 stage after a competitive run that saw the four-time African champions return to the knockout phase of the global showpiece for the first time since 2010.

The Black Stars began their tournament with a narrow 1-0 victory over Panama before securing a hard-fought 0-0 draw against European giants England.

However, Ghana suffered a 2-1 defeat to Croatia in their final Group C encounter, before bowing out following a painful 1-0 loss to Colombia in the knockout round.

Despite the elimination, President Mahama believes the team’s performance represented significant progress, especially considering the doubts surrounding their chances before the tournament.

“The Black Stars performed admirably at the recent tournament despite many predictions that they would not progress beyond the group stage," he said.

"They exceeded expectations by advancing to the Round of 32, demonstrating determination, resilience and the quality that exists within the team," Mahama added.

Ghana’s return to the knockout stages marked a positive step for the national team, which had endured challenges in previous major competitions, including missing out on qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Black Stars will now shift their focus to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, where they have been placed in Group C alongside Côte d’Ivoire, Somalia and The Gambia.

The qualifying campaign is scheduled to begin in September, with Ghana aiming to secure a place at the continental tournament and build on the momentum gained from their World Cup outing.