World Cup 2026: Black Stars can spring surprises – Former Ghana star Yaw Acheampong

Former Ghana international Yaw Acheampong Joachim believes the Black Stars have what it takes to exceed expectations and emerge as one of the surprise packages at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Ghana will be making their fifth appearance at football’s biggest tournament after booking a place at the expanded 48-team competition, which is being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Black Stars have been placed in a challenging Group L alongside England, Croatia and Panama. Ghana will open their campaign against Panama before taking on European heavyweights England and Croatia in their remaining group-stage matches.

Despite the tough draw, Acheampong is confident that coach Carlos Queiroz’s side can make a strong impact at the tournament.

Speaking to Koforidua-based Swiit FM, the former defender said he has seen significant progress in the national team and warned critics against writing off Ghana’s chances.

“I can see clear improvement in the Black Stars under coach Carlos Queiroz. People should not underestimate this team because they are capable of achieving something special at the World Cup,” he said.

Acheampong also predicted that the tournament could produce several unexpected results, insisting that pre-World Cup friendly matches should not be used as the sole measure of a team’s strength.

“There will be many surprises during the World Cup. Friendly matches are mainly used by coaches to test players, fine-tune tactics and prepare for the competition itself. That is why results in those games do not always reflect what a team can do when the tournament begins,” he added.

The Black Stars have already touched down in the United States as they step up preparations for the global showpiece, which gets underway on June 11.

Ghana will be hoping to improve on their previous World Cup campaigns. The four-time African champions have participated in the tournament in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2022, with their most memorable run coming in South Africa in 2010 when they reached the quarter-finals and narrowly missed out on becoming the first African nation to reach the last four.

With optimism growing ahead of the tournament, Acheampong believes the current squad has the quality and potential to once again make the nation proud on the world stage.