Agyemang Badu insists World Cup qualification is a must
By Lukman MUMIN, Accra
Former Black Stars midfielder, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu says the country cannot afford to miss out on the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
After failing to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament, the senior national team will return to action in March later this year for the Matchday five and six games of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Having revived the hopes of playing at the Mundial with back-to-back wins against Mali and Central African Republic, Ghana will take on Chad and Madagascar.
Speaking to Citi Sports, Agyemang-Badu, a U-20 World Cup winner called for unity, stressing that qualifying for the tournament is non-negotiable.
“Where I am sitting, we need to support the FA, respect the FA, and understand where they are coming from,” he said.
“It is rather unfortunate that the year has been unfavourable for us as we were unable to go to the CHAN and the AFCON as well.
“In the World Cup race, we are in, and we can’t afford not to go to the World Cup. So, whatever they think is best for the nation, we will support them,” he declared. Ghana participated in the 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2022 World Cups in Germany, South Africa, Brazil and Qatar respectively.
