Carlos Queiroz declares Panama game as a must-win for the Black Stars

Black Stars Head Coach Carlos Queiroz has expressed his side’s readiness for Wednesday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against Panama in Toronto.

According to him, the technical team and the playing body have made preparations to secure a victory for Ghana.

He indicated that he is anticipating a difficult task on the day, since nothing comes easy in football.

“Starting from that, what I have learned in football is that all games are a must-win. When we are in a club, we start the preparation. The first friendly game for the season is a must-win. The second is a must-win. I never remember in my life to play one game that was not a must-win. Why? Because our value is not based on intentions or wishes,” he said.

“Our value is based on results. The only medicine that works in football is to win. We are ready to fight for the results, knowing that nothing comes easy in football. As I said before, we have one team in front of us that has the same wishes and expectations.

“You mentioned one issue in the preparation. We played one game, but it was not the only game that the team played. There were other games before that we took lessons from. In terms of preparation, life is simple for us in football. One training is better than zero, two is better than one, three is better than two, and so on.

“Two games are better than one, three is better than two. But if you only have one game, you have to take the best of that situation. If we play one game, we train more,” he concluded.

The Ghana contingent landed in Toronto on Monday afternoon following successful pre-tournament preparations in the United States.

Carlos Queiroz’s charges have been based in the US since their friendly encounter against Wales earlier this month at the Cardiff Stadium.

All 26 players were fully involved in the team’s training sessions, with no reports of injury concerns ahead of the Group L opener.

The Black Stars held their official training session at BMO Field on Tuesday evening. Ghana will play Panama at 7:00 PM ET (23:00 GMT) on Wednesday, June 17, in what will be the nation’s fifth appearance at the FIFA World Cup.