Ghanaian defender Gideon Mensah says the Black Stars are fully focused and determined to make a strong impression at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The AJ Auxerre defender is part of Ghana’s 28-man squad currently preparing for the tournament and is widely expected to make the final 26-man list after the upcoming friendly against Wales.
Ghana will be making their fifth appearance at the FIFA World Cup after securing one of Africa’s qualification slots for the tournament, which will be hosted by United States, Canada and Mexico.
The Black Stars have been drawn in Group L alongside England, Croatia and Panama.
Speaking on the Ghana FA website, Gideon Mensah stressed the importance of the tournament for both the players and the country.
“The expectation is very clear for me as a player, and then we as a team, we are working towards a very crucial tournament for us, for the country and for ourselves as players,” he said.
“So, I mean, we are expecting that we go into the game, show to the Ghanaians and show to ourselves that we are ready to go and compete with whoever comes against us in the World Cup,” he added.
Mensah recently helped Auxerre secure survival in the French Ligue 1 and will be hoping to carry that form into the World Cup as Ghana prepare to face Panama in their opening group game before clashes against England and Croatia respectively.
