Mahama rallies Black Stars for 2026 glory

...Warns fans on visa discipline

By Maxwell Kumoye 

   

 

With the world watching and history within reach, John Dramani Mahama has turned Ghana’s 2026 World Cup charge into a national mission, declaring the Ghana national football team campaign at the FIFA World Cup a defining test of pride, discipline and global ambition.

Delivering his 2026 State of the Nation Address on February 27, Mahama rallied the nation behind the Ghana national football team, framing their fifth appearance at the FIFA World Cup as a powerful platform to project the “Ghanaian Spirit” onto the world stage.

Set to camp at Bryant University in Rhode Island, the Black Stars will fine-tune their campaign in what the President described as the perfect environment to spark memories of the nation’s iconic 2010 quarter-final run, still Africa’s benchmark of World Cup excellence.

But the road ahead is anything but smooth.

Drawn into a bruising Group L, Ghana must navigate past England national football team, the 1966 world champions and European giants; Croatia national football team, recent finalists renowned for their technical steel; and a spirited Panama national football team side eager to upset the script.

Mahama’s message was clear, this is Ghana’s moment but discipline must match ambition.

In a stern caution to thousands of supporters planning trips to the United States, Mexico and Canada, the President stressed that the country’s restored five-year non-immigrant visa status must not be jeopardized.

He revealed that regaining the privilege required painstaking diplomacy and warned against any actions that could return Ghana to a visa ban list.

“It has taken a lot of work,” he told Parliament, urging fans to respect visa rules and return home after the tournament. “Every Ghanaian travelling is an ambassador.”

Beyond the chase for goals lies a bigger prize. Mahama argued that a strong World Cup showing could turbocharge tourism, attract foreign investment and cement Ghana’s standing as the “Gateway to Africa.”

As the countdown to North America intensifies, the stakes could not be higher. On the pitch, the Black Stars are chasing history, aiming to shatter the semi-final “glass ceiling.” Off it, a nation is determined to protect the strength of its passport and reputation.

For Ghana in 2026, it’s more than football. It’s pride, policy and the power of the Black Stars blazing on the world’s biggest stage.