Former Ghana international Laryea Kingston has urged caution in calls for late additions to the Black Stars squad ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting cohesion must take priority over sentiment.
With the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico approaching, pressure has mounted for England-born players of Ghanaian heritage, including Callum Hudson-Odoi and Eddie Nketiah, to be drafted into the squad. However, Kingston believes Ghana must avoid disrupting months of preparation.
“The World Cup is a top-level competition; as a country, we need all our best players to compete well,” he told the Daily Graphic in Accra. “To avoid distractions, it will be very good to maintain players that the coach already knows rather than bring in new players so close to a major tournament.”
Kingston, who missed out on Ghana’s final squads for the 2006 and 2010 tournaments, stressed that trust and familiarity between coach and players are vital under World Cup pressure.
Ghana have been drawn in Group L alongside Panama national football team, England national football team and Croatia national football team. While England and Croatia command global attention, Kingston warned against underestimating Panama, describing them as potentially Ghana’s most difficult opponent in the group stage.
