Ghana captain Jordan Ayew has issued a stirring pledge to deliver a performance that will make the nation proud as the Black Stars prepare for their fifth FIFA World Cup appearance, despite being drawn into a challenging Group L.

Speaking at a send-off event before the team departed Alexandria, Virginia, for their base camp in Rhode Island, the Leicester City forward acknowledged the magnitude of the task ahead but expressed unwavering confidence in his squad’s ability to compete.

Ghana will face Panama, England, and Croatia in the group stage — three opponents with strong international pedigrees.

“We have three massive games for us, and we want to make you guys proud; we want to make Ghana proud,” Ayew said. “Obviously, it’s not going to be easy, but with your prayers and support, hopefully, we’ll be successful.”

The Black Stars arrived in Providence, Rhode Island, on Thursday evening, June 11, 2026, for the final phase of their preparations.

According to the Ghana Football Association (GFA), head coach Carlos Queiroz and his squad are expected to resume training on Friday to fine-tune tactics and team cohesion ahead of their opening match.

Ghana is making its fifth appearance in the global showpiece, having previously qualified for the 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2022 editions.

The country’s best performance came in 2010 when the Black Stars reached the quarterfinal stage in South Africa, narrowly missing out on a historic semifinal berth after a controversial penalty shootout loss to Uruguay.

The team will open its Group L campaign against Panama in Toronto on Wednesday, June 17, before facing England and Croatia in subsequent matches.

With Ayew at the helm, Ghanaians at home and in the diaspora are hoping the team can replicate — or surpass — the heroics of 2010.

Nigeria has evacuated 268 of its citizens from South Africa, joining Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Malawi in pulling nationals from the country.

In recent weeks anti-migrant violence and rhetoric have been rising ahead of a June 30 protest-led deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave.

But beyond the humanitarian flight, Nigeria’s Consul General in South Africa, Ninikanwa Okey-Uche, delivered a sharp diplomatic rebuke: migrants make up less than 10% of South Africa’s population and cannot be “blamed for broken systems in education, health care, policing, unemployment.”

“Migrants are basically being scapegoated,” Okey-Uche told the BBC, calling on South African authorities to arrest known instigators of xenophobic attacks. “They’re not hiding. They’ve caused mayhem in people’s lives, but they’re walking free. Some of them are running for election.”

South Africa is due to hold local government elections in November, and analysts say migration is being weaponized as a campaign issue.

In response to weeks of protests, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced new measures including jailing employers who hire undocumented workers, dedicated deportation courts, and a nationwide biometric database.

One evacuated Nigerian passenger, Justin, who had lived in South Africa since 1998, told the BBC he was attacked in a taxi and called slurs.

“They say we must leave on or before 30th June. Because of the way they are killing our brothers, I’m not safe,” he said.

The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to its long-standing partnership with Ghana, with Chargé d’Affaires Rolf Olson using the 250th anniversary of American independence to pivot the relationship away from traditional aid dependency toward mutual economic resilience and security cooperation.

Speaking at the 250th Independence Day Celebration in Accra on June 10, 2026, Olson acknowledged ongoing shifts in US foreign assistance policy but declared that the bilateral bond is now defined by “not dependence, but resilience” and “a two-way exchange of investment, innovation, and expertise.”

Citing over $2.5 billion invested in Ghana’s health sector alone over two decades, Olson detailed tangible outcomes including life-saving treatment for 24,000 people living with HIV, annual malaria protection for 1.5 million children, and COVID-19 vaccinations for 7.5 million Ghanaians.

He also pointed to commercial partnerships such as Zipline’s drone delivery network, which has completed 800,000 medical deliveries in Ghana since 2019, saving an estimated 10,000 lives.

“The United States remains the largest financial contributor to health emergencies across the continent,” Olson said, referencing a $200 million direct commitment to the ongoing Ebola response in the DRC and Uganda as part of a broader $1.8 billion regional humanitarian contribution.

Beyond health, the Chargé d’Affaires highlighted deepening economic integration, noting that American companies like Newmont — Ghana’s single largest taxpayer, employ thousands of Ghanaians, with 99% local workforce including the country manager.

He also pointed to emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, advanced agriculture, and rural wireless technology deployment across hundreds of base stations to bridge West Africa’s digital divide.

In the realm of security and justice, Olson confirmed recent extradition cooperation, including the handover of Sedina Tamakloe Attionu to Ghanaian authorities and the extradition by Ghana of multiple individuals wanted for cybercrime in the US.

“We are proud to work together to ensure that those alleged to have committed criminal acts face justice,” he said.

Looking ahead, Olson noted expanded visa access for Ghanaians ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which the US is co-hosting, urging citizens to see the US as an accessible partner for education, business, and travel.

“Two hundred and fifty years into America’s independence and nearly 70 years into Ghana’s, we look to the future with optimism, confidence, and renewed purpose,” Olson concluded.