Ghana not ready for 2026 World Cup yet, but we will be – Sports Minister

Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams has conceded that Ghana are not yet ready for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, pointing to the absence of a head coach as a major concern with the tournament fast approaching.

The Black Stars head into the final stretch of preparations without technical leadership following the dismissal of Otto Addo, who was relieved of his duties after a poor run of results in international friendlies, including defeats to Germany and Austria.

Adams acknowledged the reality of the situation, stating that it is difficult to claim readiness under the current circumstances.

“If I tell you that we are ready today, we don’t even have a head coach. So it means that we are not fully ready yet,” he said on Channel One TV.

However, the minister remains confident that the situation will be resolved in time, with a new coach expected to be appointed in the coming days. Experienced names such as Carlos Queiroz, Paulo Bento and Fernando Santos have all been linked with the role.

Adams is optimistic that once the technical direction is settled, the team will quickly find its footing ahead of the tournament.

“But I see us being ready by the time it’s time for us to play our first game… we should still be hopeful,” he added.

He also backed the current squad to compete strongly despite concerns over quality compared to past generations.

“We may not have the best of players as we had maybe in some time past… but we still have what it takes for us to go very, very far.”

Ghana will step up preparations with scheduled friendlies against Mexico and Wales before opening their World Cup campaign against Panama. They will face Croatia and England, respectively, to conclude the group stage.