Ghana to Announce World Cup Squad on June 1 – Kurt Okraku

Kurt Okraku has confirmed that Ghana’s final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be officially unveiled on June 1 as anticipation continues to build ahead of the global tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The President of the Ghana Football Association disclosed the date shortly after the Black Stars’ 2-0 defeat to Mexico in an international friendly played in Puebla last Friday night.

Despite the loss, Okraku remained upbeat about the team’s preparations, insisting the friendly had served its intended purpose by giving valuable international exposure to several young and fringe players.

According to him, the exercise was particularly beneficial for members of Ghana’s U-23 side who are expected to feature in upcoming Olympic qualifiers, while also offering limited-game-time players the opportunity to impress the technical team ahead of the final squad selection.

The Black Stars are expected to head into the tournament with renewed optimism following the appointment of experienced Portuguese trainer Carlos Queiroz, who has previously managed countries including Iran, Egypt and Colombia. Okraku recently expressed confidence that Queiroz’s experience and leadership could inspire Ghana to make a strong impact at the Mundial.

Ghana will be making their fifth appearance at the FIFA World Cup and have been drawn in a difficult Group L alongside England, Croatia and Panama. The Black Stars are scheduled to open their campaign against Panama on June 17 before facing England and Croatia in their remaining group matches.

With FIFA requiring all participating nations to submit their final 26-man squads by early June, the announcement is expected to generate intense debate among supporters over who deserves a place on the plane to North America.

Several established stars are expected to headline the squad, while a number of emerging talents are also pushing strongly for inclusion following impressive performances at club level and during Ghana’s recent preparatory matches.

The June 1 announcement is likely to mark the beginning of the Black Stars’ final phase of preparations as Ghana seek to improve upon their disappointing group-stage exits in 2014 and 2022 and attempt to recreate the memorable run to the quarter-finals achieved in South Africa in 2010.

About The Author

Emmanuel Austin Baah

My name is Emmanuel Austin Baah, professionally known as “Okocha”. I am a seasoned Ghanaian journalist, broadcaster and football commentator from Senya Bereku in the Central Region. My work reflects a strong commitment to factual reporting, ethical journalism and the continuous promotion of Ghanaian sports.

I am currently pursuing my studies at Cape Coast Technical University, building on a solid foundation of media practice and communication. I previously served as a sports producer at Radio Gold (90.5) and Montie FM (100.1) in Accra, where I was actively involved in editorial planning, programme production, live commentary and in-depth sports analysis.

Presently, I am a Senior Writer at SportsNetGhana.com, a role in which I produce well-researched features, match reports, athlete profiles and analytical pieces. My work consistently highlights emerging talents, captures key sporting developments and contributes to shaping informed sports discourse in Ghana.

Over the course of my career, I have covered numerous major sporting events both locally and internationally. Among these, the highlight remains my coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, a significant milestone that strengthened my expertise in global football reporting and enhanced my understanding of international sports dynamics.

I am widely recognised for my clarity of analysis, engaging commentary style and strong command of both local and global football trends. Beyond the newsroom, I participate in community initiatives aimed at developing young sports journalists and promoting youth engagement in sports.

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