Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has defended his decision to keep goalkeeper Solomon Agbasi with the national team as an unofficial 27th player after naming his final 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Accra Hearts of Oak’s goalkeeper Agbasi was omitted from the final list submitted for the tournament, but will continue to train with the squad as a standby goalkeeper throughout Ghana’s World Cup campaign.
Explaining the decision, Queiroz said the arrangement would provide cover in case of an emergency in the goalkeeping department while also contributing to the long-term development of the young shot-stopper.
“We have the privilege to have another player who has accepted to be with us, be part of our team, be part of our training, and be ready if something happens in our goalkeeping department. So we have another player, who is player number 27,” Queiroz said.
The Portuguese coach noted that keeping Agbasi with the team serves a dual purpose.
According to him, the first objective is to aid the goalkeeper’s development by exposing him to the demands and environment of a major international tournament.
“First of all, it will be part of our development programme for goalkeepers in Ghana. So we allow him to grow up, to be ready. He’s a young goalkeeper with fantastic qualities,” he explained.
Queiroz added that Agbasi’s presence will also ensure the team is adequately prepared for any unforeseen circumstances that may require a replacement goalkeeper during the competition.
“The second reason is to sustain the training and preparation of the team and cover the eventual situation of replacement, because if we are forced to make that decision, he will be ready to compete and be part of the team. He is ready to perform.”
The Black Stars coach revealed that the strategy is not new and is one he has adopted at previous World Cups after experiencing unexpected setbacks during major tournaments.
“At the last two World Cups I have covered myself and always convinced one player, a development player, to be with us and be ready to perform when the time comes,” he said.
Queiroz also noted that several national teams are adopting similar approaches as they seek to guard against unforeseen disruptions during the tournament.
Ghana’s final World Cup squad includes goalkeepers Benjamin Asare, Lawrence Ati-Zigi, and Joseph Anang, with Agbasi remaining on standby as the team’s designated “player number 27.”
🎥 🇬🇭 “Actually, my squad has 27 players. We have the privilege to add another goalkeeper.”
“We want to achieve two things. First, it’s part of our development program. Second, it sustains our training and covers us for an eventual replacement.”
Black Stars head coach Carlos… pic.twitter.com/W9QosTHpiS
— Citi Sports (@CitiSportsGHA) June 2, 2026
