Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku has hailed the mental strength and resilience of the Black Stars, stating that their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup—achieved in the same cycle they missed the Africa Cup of Nations—proves the team's inner fortitude.
Speaking in a television interview, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Second Vice President acknowledged the profound disappointment of failing to reach the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
"AFCON for me is a given. We have to be there, and if we are not there, that will be the low side of our sport," Okraku said.
However, he argued that the team's ability to immediately reorganise and secure a spot at the global tournament demonstrates significant growth.
"We have been able to organise ourselves, and we have been able to make it to the World Cup," Okraku stated. "That shows the strength of the team that we have. The mindset and the mentality of the people we have. That we went so low, but then within the same period we have gone so high."
Okraku expressed lasting regret over the missed continental opportunity but framed the World Cup qualification as powerful evidence of the team's and the federation's capacity to rebound from adversity.
The Black Stars are now set to compete in Group L at the 2026 tournament, facing Panama, England, and Croatia. For the GFA president, this achievement underscores a positive trajectory built on resilience as Ghana prepares to return to football's biggest stage.
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