Ghana legend Asamoah Gyan shares thoughts on Ghana’s 2026 World Cup qualifying group

Ghana legend Asamoah believes that the country’s male senior national team, the Black Stars, will not find it easy in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

In the draw held in Ivory Coast on Thursday, July 13, 2023, the Black Stars of Ghana were placed in Group I alongside Madagascar, Comoros, the Central African Republic, Chad, and Mali.

Speaking at the colorful ceremony, Gyan indicated that the opponents in Ghana’s group would not be pushovers, as he anticipates tough games when the matches commence.

However, he is optimistic that Chris Hughton’s charges will sail through.

“Since 2006, when we qualified for the first time, until 2022, I think we have been consistent, except in 2018, when we didn’t qualify. I think we are getting used to the World Cup.

“It is not going to be easy because the expectation is high back home. We will try our possible best to make sure we also qualify.”

The upcoming World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and the Black Stars have the responsibility of qualifying Ghana for the prestigious tournament.

The qualification format established by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) consists of nine groups, each containing six teams. The top team from each group will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Additionally, the four best second-placed teams across the groups will participate in playoffs. The winner of this playoff will then face a team from the CONCACAF zone for a chance to secure the tenth and final spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The qualifiers are scheduled to take place over a two-year period, from November 2023 to November 2025. The Black Stars will have their first and second matchdays in November 2023, followed by the third and fourth matchdays in June 2024. The remaining matchdays, from the fifth to the tenth, will be played throughout 2025.

Having successfully qualified for four out of the last five World Cups, the Black Stars will strive to make their fifth appearance in the tournament.