Ghana’s 28-Man Squad Announced for World Cup Preparation
Carlos Queiroz has drawn his World Cup battle lines.
The Black Stars head coach has named a 28-man squad for Ghana’s preparation camp and the high-profile friendly against Wales in Cardiff, a first real glimpse of the group he trusts to carry the nation into the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Cardiff as the launchpad
Camp opened on Monday, May 25, 2026, with the squad settling into work at Dragon Park in Cardiff. The session was not a light meet-and-greet. With Wales waiting at the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, Queiroz used the training ground as an early filter: intensity, structure, and clarity before the World Cup countdown truly bites.
The 28-man list is carefully balanced — five goalkeepers, nine defenders, seven midfielders, seven forwards — a blend of old scars and fresh legs.
Baba Rahman’s road back
Among the headline stories is the return of Baba Abdul Rahman. The Greece-based left back, now with PAOK, is back in Black Stars colours for the first time since September 2023.
He has earned it.
After slipping out of the national-team picture, the former Chelsea defender has rebuilt his reputation in Thessaloniki. Thirty-five appearances this season, three goals, three assists across all competitions: not spectacular numbers on paper, but the kind of consistency and reliability coaches crave in tournament football. His recall is both a reward and a reminder that form still matters.
Nuamah and Mumin: long roads, second chances
On the opposite flank of the pitch and the spectrum of emotion stands Ernest Nuamah. The Olympique Lyon winger has been away from the national team for close to a year, his progress halted by a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury that kept him out for more than 12 months.
Now he is back to full fitness. For a player built on acceleration and sharp changes of direction, an ACL layoff can define or derail a career. His inclusion signals that he has convinced both club and country that his edge has returned. If he hits his stride in time, Ghana suddenly look more dangerous between the lines.
Abdul Mumin’s name carries a similar story of resilience. The Rayo Vallecano defender also returns from a long spell out with an ACL injury. Central defenders live on timing and trust; any hesitation can be fatal at international level. Queiroz’s decision to bring him back into the fold suggests confidence that Mumin’s layoff is behind him and that his reading of the game remains intact.
Saint-Étienne midfielder Augustine Boakye and Stade Rennes defender Alidu Seidu also rejoin the group. Both offer tactical flexibility: Boakye with his ability to link phases in midfield, Seidu with his aggression and versatility across the back line. Their presence deepens the pool in key areas where tournament squads are often stretched.
A look to the future: Paul Reverson
Then there is the wildcard, the long-term project: Paul Reverson.
The 20-year-old Ajax Amsterdam youngster has been called up primarily for assessment. He has impressed for Ajax’s youth sides in the Netherlands, enough for Queiroz and his staff to bring him into the senior environment early. This is not a token gesture. World Cups are marathons disguised as sprints, and managers who plan beyond the next 90 minutes often steal a march on their rivals.
Reverson may not feature heavily in the short term, but his integration now hints at a broader vision for the next cycle as well as this one.
World Cup on the horizon
The Cardiff camp is more than a tune-up for a friendly against Wales. It is the staging ground for a World Cup campaign that will test Ghana across three cities and three very different opponents.
Ghana open their Group L journey against Panama in Toronto. On paper, it is the most “winnable” of their fixtures, but also the kind of match that can shape a group’s psychology. Drop points there and the pressure spikes.
England await next in Boston, a clash loaded with narrative and noise, before a potentially decisive meeting with Croatia in Philadelphia. Experience, physicality, and game management will matter in all three, which explains the emphasis on proven internationals returning from injury and a carefully layered squad structure.
For now, though, the focus is Dragon Park, not Toronto. Wales will provide a stern test of Ghana’s organisation, resilience, and attacking fluency.
The names are on the sheet. The boots are on the grass. The question now is whether this 28-man core can turn a carefully constructed camp in Cardiff into a statement summer across North America.
