Ghana sealed their place at the 2026 World Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Comoros in their final Group I qualifier at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday, October 12, marking the country’s fifth appearance at football’s biggest tournament.

While they look forward to finding out who their group-stage opponents will be when the official draw is held on December 5, they will embark on an Asian tour to face South Korea and Japan as part of their preparations for the World Cup next year.

This was officially announced by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) on October 9, in a press release following Ghana’s 5–0 victory over the Central African Republic.

The first clash is scheduled for November 14 in Toyota as part of the prestigious Kirin Cup, against Japan, before they travel to Seoul to face South Korea three days later, on November 17.

Both Japan and South Korea have already booked their places at the 2026 World Cup and are expected to field full-strength lineups, providing Ghana with a crucial test ahead of next year’s continental and global competitions.

The Asian tour forms part of the Ghana Football Association’s broader plan to give coach Otto Addo the platform to evaluate his squad and fine-tune tactics before the global showpiece.

Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama hopes the Black Stars will aim higher beyond their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He has urged the team to emulate Morocco and, in broader terms, envision doing more.

President Mahama cited Morocco as a model because they made history at the 2022 FIFA World Cup by becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-finals.

Ghana sealed their place at the 2026 World Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Comoros courtesy of a decisive goal from Mohammed Kudus in their final Group I qualifier at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday, October 12, marking the country’s fifth appearance at football’s biggest tournament.

Referring to an unforgettable situation in the history of Ghana football, where Asamoah’s penalty miss cost Ghana’s place in the semi-finals, he urged the team,

“We must follow in the footsteps of Morocco by going beyond the semi-finals and, who knows, with fingers crossed, bring the World Cup trophy home to make Ghana and Africa proud”.

He further went on to call on Ghanaians to support the team without any bias.

“We must all rally behind the Black Stars. We must support them to the hilt. Let’s not bring in any partisan or ethnic considerations. Let’s give them our full support,” he added.

The Black Stars will discover their group-stage opponents during the World Cup draw on December 5, 2025, at the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Following a group-stage exit at their previous World Cup in Qatar, Ghana now hopes to make a lasting impact in the 2026 tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino congratulated Ghana for securing its ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In a congratulatory message shared via video on the football governing body’s Instagram, Infantino praised the four-time African champions for their achievement and expressed excitement about their return to the world stage.

“Congratulations to the Black Stars on reaching the FIFA World Cup for the fifth time in history. Your fans will bring colours, style and passion to the greatest FIFA World Cup ever in 20226 in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

“We expect that your team will establish more global stars to follow in the footsteps of the famous team that made the quarterfinals of the tournament in South Africa in 2010, but for now, enjoy this special moment, and we cannot wait to see who the Black Stars will face when we have the final tournament draw on the 5th of December.

“See you very soon and well. Congratulations!”

Black Stars head coach Otto Addo has reacted to questions surrounding his future with the team.

His second coming as a Black Stars head coach was met with mixed reactions. While some supported him as the most familiar to handle the team, others questioned his maturity, his tactical prowess, especially after the Black Stars' group-stage exit at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). 2022 under his leadership.

However, his recent record as the first coach in Ghana’s football history to oversee the team’s qualification to the world’s biggest football tournament, the 2026 FIFA World Cup, twice, has sparked some confidence from fans about his competency, as well as questions surrounding his long-term future due to his inconsistencies in performances.

Ahead of Ghana’s final game for the 2026 World Cup clash with Comoros, in an interview with the Ghana FA website, the former Dortmund talent coach intimated that his focus is to make Ghanaians happy and not to worry about keeping his job, a situation he has no control over.

“What happens after is not in my hands. I hope that a lot of people, if we win, can go to America. We have to win this game. This is what we are looking at. If Ghanaians are happy, then we are happy,” he said.

Addressing calls for his dismissal, including ones from the former Majority speaker of Parliament and the former Suame Member of Parliament (MP), Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, the Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, noted that the dismissal of Otto Addo is not a solo decision he can make but several factors will need to be considered before decision about the coach’s future is made.

“If you listen to Otto Addo on the team, he said he will try a lot of legs to know who will go or not, but I believe the management and everybody who is involved in hiring the coach will consider a lot of factors,” “I pay him, but it is not my decision alone. The GFA has a role to play, and it is not about this or not and going forward, we will have all these conversations,” Mr Adams said during an interview on Asempa FM’s Ultimate Sports Show.

The Minister, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for Buem Constituency, emphasised that Addo remains the head coach and deserves full support from all Ghanaians.

“Ivory Coast sacked their coach during AFCON, and their assistant coach, Emerse Faé, led them to win the AFCON. If you are determined, you will bring success. At this moment, he is our coach, and we have to support him.”