You must qualify for 2026 World Cup to appease Ghanaians - Twum Boafo tells Otto Addo

Head coach of the Black Stars, Otto Addo has been urged to channel the disappointment of missing out on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations into qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

With just two points from four games, Ghana needs a miraculous capitulation from Sudan in their last two matches to qualify for the tournament, which will be held in Morocco.

For Ghana to qualify for the tournament, the Black Stars must win their last two matches and hope that Sudan, who have been impressive in the qualifying series, will lose their final two games.

In their last two matches, the Black Stars will host Niger in Ghana and play Angola on the road, while Sudan will play Angola at home and be guests to Niger.

Owing to Sudan’s impressive form and Ghana’s lackluster performances, most Ghanaians have resigned themselves to the fate that the Black Stars will not participate in the tournament in Morocco, and the former CEO of the Ghana Free Zones Authority belongs to that school of thought.

While he is disappointed with Ghana’s failure to qualify for the AFCON, Twum Boafo believes that the players can use the disappointment as fuel for the World Cup qualifiers.

He noted that the World Cup is a much more glamorous tournament and that Ghana must strive to be part of the global football festival.

The ardent Liverpool fan advanced the viewpoint that most Ghanaians would love to attend the 2026 World Cup and would forgive the Black Stars if they manage to grab one of the tickets for the tournament.

“It’s unfortunate we are not going to play in the AFCON, but I believe we should quickly switch focus to qualifying for the World Cup because it is the most important thing. Ghana cannot afford to miss out on the World Cup in the US-Canada-Mexico, and the players must be aware of that.

“They should channel the disappointment into qualifying for the World Cup because Ghanaians will not forgive them if they miss out on that tournament. Qualifying for the 2026 World Cup is a must for Ghana, and the players must recognize it,” he said.

In the World Cup qualifiers, the Black Stars are joint top of Group I with nine points from four matches.

When the qualifiers resume in March 2025, the Black Stars will play at home against Chad and be guests to Madagascar.

Ghanaians react to Black Stars' 2-0 defeat to Sudan





EK