Kudus’ Presence Gives Ghana Extra Confidence- Stephen Appiah

Stephen Appiah has admitted that Ghana could face a huge challenge if influential midfielder Mohammed Kudus fails to recover in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Vice Chairman of the Black Stars Management Committee shared his concerns while speaking about Kudus’ ongoing injury struggles ahead of the tournament in North America.

Kudus has been sidelined since January after suffering a hamstring injury, and complications during his rehabilitation process have created uncertainty over his availability for the global competition in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Despite acknowledging the importance of the 26-year-old playmaker, Appiah believes Ghana must remain mentally strong and trust the depth within the squad.

“We know his contribution to the team, but even during playing days, when a player is not available, we went ahead to play the game, so we should go ahead with that level of belief that when someone is not around, someone will be there to replace him,” he told Asempa FM.

The former Black Stars captain, who led Ghana to their first-ever World Cup appearance in 2006, stressed that Kudus brings a unique presence to the national team whenever he is fit.

“Kudus is him, and when he is available and plays, he gives the team a lift, but we should just pray and see what happens because I am equally impressed with the performance of some of our players playing abroad,” Appiah added.

Before his injury setback, Kudus had made 19 appearances during the season and scored twice.

Ghana have been drawn in Group L for the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Panama national football team, England national football team and Croatia national football team.

The Black Stars will begin their campaign against Panama in Toronto on June 17 before taking on England in Boston six days later. Their final group match will come against Croatia in Philadelphia on June 27.

After group-stage exits at the 2014 and 2022 editions, Ghana will be hoping to produce a stronger performance this time around.