President John Dramani Mahama has called on the Black Stars to immediately turn their attention to preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, stressing that long-term planning will be key to sustaining the progress made at the recently concluded 2026 tournament.
The President's remarks come after Ghana's campaign at the World Cup in North America ended in the Round of 32, marking the country's first appearance in the knockout stages since 2010.
Speaking during an inspection of the Ho Sports Stadium, Mahama commended the Black Stars for exceeding expectations and urged football authorities to build on the team's encouraging performances with a clear strategy for the future.
He said retaining the current squad and ensuring continuity in the technical setup, particularly by convincing head coach Carlos Queiroz to remain in charge, could position Ghana to challenge for both the Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
“We need to start preparing for the next World Cup. The Black Stars did well; nobody gave them a chance. People predicted they would crash out in the group stage, but they managed to reach the Round of 32.”
"I'm sure that if we keep this team, and we persuade the coach [Carlos Queiroz] to continue to work with the team, by the time of the next AFCON and the next World Cup, we'll have a team that can claim the championship in either of those two competitions."
Ghana began their World Cup campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Panama before earning a goalless draw against England to secure their first-ever World Cup point against the Three Lions.
Although the Black Stars lost 2-1 to Croatia in their final Group L match, they progressed to the Round of 32 as one of the tournament's best third-placed teams. Their campaign eventually came to an end following a narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia.
With the World Cup now over, Ghana's attention shifts to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The Black Stars have been drawn in Group C alongside Côte d'Ivoire, Somalia and The Gambia, with the qualifying campaign set to begin in September.
After missing out on the 2025 AFCON, Ghana will be aiming to secure a return to Africa's premier football tournament while laying the foundation for another World Cup challenge in 2030.
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