Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has disclosed that Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz will use Ghana’s international friendly against Wales as a final assessment opportunity after settling on his 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is expected to be announced today, June 1.
Speaking in an interview with TV3, Adams explained that the team’s training camp in Cardiff, coupled with the friendly encounter on June 2, will give Queiroz a clearer picture of his preferred lineup and tactical setup ahead of the global tournament.
According to the minister, the Portuguese tactician intends to closely monitor players during training sessions and the friendly match before making his final decisions regarding the squad.
“He has a friendly on June 2 against Wales, and he wants to use the training period to observe a number of them and maybe give some of them the opportunity to play. He would then use that to conclude,” Adams stated.
Adams also indicated that the goalkeeping department is expected to be the most affected area when the provisional squad is trimmed, with five goalkeepers currently battling for places in the final squad.
The Black Stars’ provisional roster includes Benjamin Asare, Solomon Agbasi, Lawrence Ati-Zigi, Jojo Wollacott, and Abdul Manaf Nurudeen. However, with FIFA tournaments typically allowing teams to carry only three goalkeepers, at least two are likely to miss out.
“Normally, if you look at the number of goalkeepers that are sent to tournaments, and in the 28-man call-up he already has five goalkeepers, it means you will not be taking five goalkeepers to the tournament. So the cut is likely to come from there more,” he added.
The Black Stars are currently based in Wales as they continue preparations for the World Cup. The friendly against Wales is expected to provide valuable match fitness and tactical insight ahead of the tournament.
Ghana will officially unveil its final 26-man squad later today before turning its full attention to the World Cup, where the four-time African champions will begin their Group L campaign against Panama on June 17.