Black Stars assistant coach John Paintsil has voiced strong confidence in Ghana’s prospects at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Friday’s draw in Washington, DC placed the team in Group L alongside England, Croatia and Panama.
Ghana, who failed to progress beyond the group stage in their last two World Cup outings, now view 2026 as a fresh stage to reassert themselves. Paintsil believes the draw has handed the team exactly the kind of challenge that can ignite their best form.
“It was a long waiting. Everyone is happy now, myself I am happy for the group that we find ourselves in. It is a group that is a very good group. A group that will bring the best out of the team and the entire country. We are going to be where we are going to have more supporters coming to support the team and that is the most important thing,” he told Sahara Football.
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The former Ghana defender didn’t shy away from ambition, confidently stating:
“I believe we can dominate this tournament.”
Paintsil further stressed that Ghana’s accumulated experience on the global stage will be crucial in navigating the group:
“We can say much about our chances, but we believe that we have more experience when it comes to such tournaments. We believe we will come out of the group stage, and then we look forward to the next because we have to take it one at a time and the most important thing is to qualify from the group.”
With renewed belief and a clear target, the Black Stars now turn their focus to building a team capable of meeting Paintsil’s lofty expectations.
