
"I faced disrespect for looking ordinary" - Leila Djansi
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3rd October 2025 4:21:21 PM
5 mins readBy: Abigail Ampofo
Black Stars are set to pitch their camp in Morocco for their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against the Central African Republic (CAR), slated for October 8.
Black Stars, who were originally scheduled to assemble and camp in Accra, will now head straight to Morocco. The change in plans, according to the Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Henry Asante Twum, during an appearance on Woezor TV, is to allow the players more recovery time and to avoid logistical challenges.
The four-time African champions need just four points from the two fixtures to secure their ticket to next year’s tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
After failing to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Ghanaian attacking midfielder and Tottenham Hotspur star Mohammed Kudus has expressed optimism about the Black Stars’ chances of qualifying for the World Cup. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Kudus said the squad, including himself, is heading in the right direction and will do everything possible to secure qualification.
“We have to qualify at all costs. I think we are on the right path now. Obviously, AFCON is also one of the major tournaments that the country loves and wants to participate in. Not qualifying was a big disappointment, but I think the full focus now is on the World Cup qualifiers,” Kudus said.
He highlighted that the current Black Stars squad are competent enough to replicate and even go beyond what their predecessors did about a decade and a half ago when they sailed through to the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup tournament.
“2010, we went all the way to the quarterfinals. And I believe this squad can even do more than that. But first we have to qualify, and then we can focus on the tournament itself.”
For the 25-year-old, representing Ghana goes beyond sport, carrying deep personal pride.
“I think you represent your country like a one-time thing. That’s the one with the biggest emotion and feeling for me. It means a lot wearing that jersey with a lot of pride,” he added.
Also, Ghana’s head coach, Otto Addo, has finalised his squad for the double-header. He released the squad list yesterday, October 2, with the official list . Following the clash with CAR, the Black Stars will return to Accra to host Comoros at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday, October 12, in their final qualifier.
Full Squad Overview
Goalkeepers: Lawrence Ati Zigi (St. Gallen), Benjamin Asare (Hearts of Oak), Joseph Anang (St. Patrick’s Athletic)
Defenders: Alexander Djiku (Spartak Moscow), Mohammed Salisu (AS Monaco), Gideon Mensah (Auxerre), Alidu Seidu (Clermont Foot), Caleb Yirenkyi (FC Nordsjælland), Kojo Peprah Oppong (OGC Nice)
Midfielders: Thomas Partey (Villarreal CF), Mohammed Kudus (Tottenham Hotspur), Elisha Owusu (Auxerre), Kwasi Sibo (Real Oviedo), Prince Owusu (Medeama SC)
Forwards: Inaki Williams (Athletic Club), Antoine Semenyo (AFC Bournemouth), Joseph Paintsil (LA Galaxy), Kamaldeen Sulemana (Atalanta), Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Leicester City), Jordan Ayew (Leicester City), Christopher Bonsu Baah (Al-Qadsiah)
Ghana currently lead Group I with 19 points and require a victory to confirm their fifth World Cup appearance.
The Ghana Black Stars have moved a rank higher in the latest FIFA ranking. This comes after their recent performances in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The team have climbed from 76th to 75th. The Black Stars, after two matches with Chad and Mali, respectively, still sit atop Group 1 with 19 points, despite drawing with Chad on September 4 at the Stade Olympique Maréchal Idriss Déby Itno in N'Djamena.
However, they had a win in their clash with Mali. Black Stars led by a goal, securing for themselves three (3) extra points and a point from Chad’s draw.
Despite the global improvement, their standing in Africa remains unchanged, with the four-time African champions still ranked 14th on the continent.
In July, Ghana’s Black Stars fell about six places in FIFA’s rankings at the time.
This was after their loss to Angola and a 1-1 draw with Niger during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers in September during the international break.
In the ranking released on July 10, Ghana ranked 76th in the FIFA World Rankings. This leaves the former African giant out of the top 10 national teams as they continue the push to rejoin the continent’s elite.
According to the July ranking, Argentina still held its spot as number one, followed by Spain, France, and then England, with Brazil taking the fifth spot.
In Africa, Morocco sat on top with its 12th position on the global level with 1,698.72 points. Senegal also moved a spot up from its 19th position last year. Egypt dropped to 34 on the global scale but remained 3rd in Africa despite its slight dip from the 32nd position, which was caused by a quiet international window with no matches played since March.
Meanwhile, other teams gained points through qualifiers and friendlies, allowing them to climb higher in the rankings.
Algeria (36th), Nigeria (44th) and the Ivory Coast (45th) follow closely, despite the latter’s recent AFCON success.
Tunisia (49th), Cameroon (51st), Mali (54th) and South Africa (57th) round out the African top ten, with Ghana sitting just outside the group.
Ghana played in May when they played in the Unity Cup in London, facing their long-standing rivals, Nigeria.
They lost 1–2 to the Super Eagles but ended with a resounding 4–0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in the third-place play-off.
Coach Otto Addo blamed their defeat to Nigeria on a lack of chemistry among players who he claims hadn't played together often.
Some fans also blamed our underperformance in the cup on the absence of key players like Kudus, Semenyo, and Partey due to club commitments and minor injuries.
Meanwhile, Black Stars head coach Otto Addo admitted that Ghana’s performance was below par following the squad’s draw with Chad in yesterday’s clash at N’Djamena.
Speaking during the post-match press conference, the head coach slammed his side for their wastefulness despite dominating play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. According to him, the team wasted opportunities they got from their several dead-ball situations.
“I can’t say we played excellently, or we played well, because it was a draw. The result is everything; we had a lot of corners, we did nothing out of that…We had a lot of shots, goal attempts, we had a lot of ball possession, and normally we have to win this game. This, in the end, surely, is not good enough, and we have to improve, especially on our execution,” Otto Addo said.
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