Ghana’s Black Challenge head coach, Stephen Richard Obeng, says his ambition is to lead the team to their first World Amputee Football Federation (WAFF) World Cup title in Mexico.
Obeng expressed confidence in the team’s preparations ahead of the tournament, scheduled for November 13 to 22, 2026, in San Juan de los Lagos.
Speaking at a dinner organised on Thursday, October 15, to honour the team, the coach said the players were nearing peak condition, with preparations now focused on tactical discipline and teamwork.
“So far, so good. The training has been good, and the boys are on course. By the grace of God, we are on track, and we have brought them to their peak,” he said.
“We are now working on our tactical decisions as a team and making sure we work together to bring glory to Ghana.”
The Black Challenge head into the competition as one of Africa’s leading amputee football teams, having won three major continental titles in recent years.
Ghana won the African Amputee Football title in Tanzania in 2021, beating Liberia 3-2. They followed that success with gold at the inaugural African Para Games in Accra in 2023, defeating Morocco 2-1, before retaining the African Amputee Cup of Nations title in Cairo in 2024 with another 2-1 victory over Morocco.
Despite that record, Obeng expects a tough campaign, warning that Ghana’s status as continental champions will make them a target for their opponents.
“Every team sees Ghana, as continental champions, as a top team, so we are not going to have it easy from the group stage,” he said.
He added that the technical team and players were approaching every match as a final, with the aim of making the country proud.
“We are supposed to win to make ourselves proud, make our families proud, and make Ghanaians and the continent as a whole proud,” he added.
Ghana have been drawn in Group D alongside 2018 World Cup champions Angola, Colombia and Iraq.
The Black Challenge will aim to build on their continental success in Mexico and secure Ghana’s first-ever World Amputee Football World Cup title.-CitiSports
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