Ghana Football Association Executive Council member ,Fred Acheampong, says Ghana’s minimum target at the 2026 FIFA World Cup should be a place in the knockout stage, expressing confidence in head coach Carlos Queiroz to guide the Black Stars beyond the group phase.
Speaking ahead of the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the Ghana Football Association Executive Council member stressed that the Black Stars must approach the competition with ambition despite being drawn in a difficult group.
“Our target is to reach the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. We believe Carlos Queiroz understands that objective,” Acheampong stated.
Ghana have been placed in Group L alongside England, Croatia and Panama, with the Black Stars set to begin their campaign on June 17 in Toronto.
The appointment of Queiroz earlier this year was viewed as a major statement by the GFA, with the experienced Portuguese trainer arriving with vast World Cup pedigree after previously managing Portugal and Iran at the global showpiece.
Queiroz himself has already made Ghana’s ambition clear, insisting that qualification from the group stage remains the team’s primary objective.
“At the end of 270 minutes, we have to qualify for the second round,” the 73-year-old said after Ghana’s 1-1 draw against Wales in an international friendly earlier this week.
The Black Stars are hoping to improve on their recent World Cup campaigns after exiting at the group stage in both the 2014 and 2022 tournaments. Ghana’s best performance at the Mundial remains the quarter-final finish at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Despite injury setbacks to key players including Mohammed Kudus, Ghana still head into the tournament with experienced names such as Jordan Ayew, Thomas Partey, Inaki Williams and Antoine Semenyo expected to play key roles.
