Black Stars assistant coach Roger De Sa has pointed to a devastating injury crisis as one of the defining reasons behind Ghana’s underwhelming campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting the team was forced to compete without several of its most influential figures.
The South African tactician, who formed part of Ghana’s technical bench during the global showpiece, said the absence of established stars severely disrupted the squad’s balance and limited the coaching staff’s options throughout the tournament.
Among the notable casualties were Mohammed Kudus, Mohammed Salisu, Alexander Djiku and Abu Francis, all of whom were ruled out of the final 26-man squad after sustaining injuries in the build-up to the World Cup.
Their withdrawals left the Black Stars without proven experience in critical areas of the pitch, particularly in central defence, forcing the technical team to rely on younger and less-tested alternatives.
Speaking to Flashscore, De Sa admitted the loss of such key personnel proved to be a major setback from the outset.
“We had lost four regular players, including both centre-backs, a winger from Tottenham Hotspur (Mohammed Kudus) and a midfielder,” he said.
“The absence of the centre-backs was particularly concerning because it meant using younger, less experienced players.”
The former Orlando Pirates coach also disclosed that assembling the final squad became even more complicated because several players under consideration were struggling for minutes at club level.
According to De Sa, evaluating potential selections often became a frustrating exercise, as players expected to impress from the start frequently found themselves on the bench.
“Some of the players we were considering were also not getting regular game time at their clubs, so the selection process was challenging,” he added.
“You could travel to another city to watch a player, take your seat in the stadium and then find that he was on the bench.”
Despite those setbacks, Ghana opened their World Cup journey with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Panama before earning a resilient goalless draw against England. The Black Stars then concluded the group phase with a 2-1 defeat to Croatia.
Their hopes of a deep run were ultimately extinguished in the Round of 32, where they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia.
Attention has now shifted to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with Ghana expected to welcome back several of their injured stars, including Kudus, Salisu and Djiku, as preparations gather pace.
The Black Stars have been drawn in Group C alongside Ivory Coast, Gambia and Somalia, with their qualifying campaign set to get underway in September.
