Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku has pledged that the Black Stars’ squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico will be selected purely on merit, assuring fans that “every Ghanaian who is playing well will be given a chance by the technical team.”
The emphatic statement, made on Asempa FM’s Ultimate Sports Show, comes amid heightened expectations following Ghana’s qualification via a hard-fought 1-0 win over Comoros on October 12, topping Group I with 25 points and marking their fifth World Cup appearance.
Okraku, reflecting on the team’s redemption after missing the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)—their first absence since 2004—stressed the Executive Council’s demand for excellence. “At the end of the day, only 11 players can be selected to play on the pitch, and the final selection has to be only 24 players who can make the squad,” he noted, backing Youth and Sports Minister Kofi Adams’ call for transparency.
“What the Executive Council demands from the technical team is the best… We cannot sit down aloof for any player to make the squad… I welcome the suggestion by the Sports Minister to get the best players for the Black Stars.”
Under head coach Otto Addo, who led the qualification charge with stars like Mohammed Kudus (scoring the decider vs. Comoros) and Thomas Partey shining in key wins over Mali and Madagascar, the focus is on form over favoritism. Ghana’s campaign—featuring a 5-0 thrashing of Chad and a 3-0 rout of Madagascar—netted 25 points, five ahead of second-placed Madagascar, with the draw on December 5 determining group opponents. Addo, confirmed by Okraku for the tournament, has hinted at a provisional 35-man squad by November, prioritizing Europe-based talents like Inaki Williams and emerging stars like Ebenezer Annan.
Okraku’s assurance addresses past criticisms of nepotism, with the GFA’s post-AFCON overhaul—including Addo’s appointment—aiming for a deeper run than the 2022 Qatar group stage exit. As Ghana prepares for friendlies in the March 2026 window, fans on X buzzed: “Merit over hype—time for Kudus, Partey, and new blood to shine! #BlackStars2026” (@GhanaFootballHub, 2K likes). With the expanded 48-team tournament, Ghana eyes a quarterfinal repeat of 2010’s heroics.
