Ghana’s assistant coach at the 2026 World Cup, Roger de Sa has reflected on the Black Stars’ 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, describing the opening match against Panama as a crucial fixture that shaped the team’s tournament ambitions.
According to De Sa, Ghana entered the competition knowing that a positive result against Panama was extremely important, especially with strong opponents such as England and Croatia also placed in the same group.
“We always regarded the opening game against Panama as our cup final. In a group also containing England and Croatia, it was the game we felt we had to win to have a successful World Cup,” De Sa said in an interview.
The South African coach explained that Ghana’s victory over Panama provided the team with much-needed confidence and reduced the pressure ahead of their remaining group matches. He added that securing the three points gave the players belief that reaching the knockout stage was achievable.
“That result relieved some pressure and gave us the belief that we could qualify for the second round, which was our main objective,” he added.
Ghana eventually progressed from the group stage but faced a difficult path in the knockout rounds. The Black Stars suffered a 2-1 defeat to Croatia before losing 1-0 to Colombia, bringing their World Cup journey to an end.
Reflecting on the final stages of the tournament, De Sa admitted that ending the campaign with two consecutive defeats was disappointing.
However, he maintained that the team’s overall performance was positive considering the circumstances surrounding the squad.
“We lost 2-1 to Croatia and then 1-0 to Colombia, so ending the competition with two defeats was disappointing. However, considering the players we had available and the limited preparation time, I felt it was a satisfactory performance overall,” he said.
De Sa praised the efforts of the players and technical team, noting that the Black Stars faced several challenges before and during the tournament.
The former Ajax Cape Town manager was part of the technical team that helped guide Ghana during the World Cup and believes the experience gained from the tournament will be valuable as the country continues preparations for future international competitions.
