Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Council member, Kweku Eyiah, has warned that failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup would be a major setback for the Black Stars.
His concerns follow Ghana’s inability to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), marking the first time in two decades that the team will miss the continental tournament.
In an effort to bolster the team’s technical setup ahead of the World Cup qualifiers, the GFA has appointed German coach Winfried Schafer as the Black Stars’ technical advisor and also named him as the association’s technical director.
After four matches in the qualifiers, Ghana currently sits second in Group I with nine points, trailing leaders Comoros. The team remains in contention for a spot at the World Cup, which will be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico next year.
Amid mounting pressure following the AFCON disappointment, Eyiah remains hopeful about Ghana’s qualification chances but insists that success will require significant effort.
“There have been some changes in the technical department. But what begs the question is, if we are seeking to make changes, is that the core of our problem? Or is the problem with the head coach? It is the coach who makes the final decision, so changing backroom staff does not change much,” he told Asempa FM’s Ultimate Sports Show.
“In their wisdom, they know best, so we should support them. Because failure to qualify for the World Cup will be disastrous, and Ghanaians will not forgive them (GFA). A lot of Ghanaians want to travel to the USA and Canada, so we should not disappoint them,” he added.
Ghana is set to face Chad and Madagascar in the next round of World Cup qualifiers in March.
Meanwhile, the Black Stars’ restructured technical team includes Desmond Ofei, with John Paintsil and Fatau Dauda retaining their roles as second assistant coach and goalkeeper’s trainer, respectively. Kris Perquy has been named the team’s psychologist, while Gregory De Grauwe takes on the role of video analyst.
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