FIFA has recently unveiled the pots for the African draws in anticipation of the qualification series for the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Ghana’s national football team, the Black Stars, who faced disappointment in their recent performances, find themselves placed in Pot 2 for the draw. Alongside Ghana in this pot are Burkina Faso, South Africa, Cape Verde, DR Congo, Guinea, Zambia, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea.
The official group draw is scheduled to take place on July 12, 2023.
All participating countries will be drawn into nine groups, each comprising six teams. The group winners from these qualifiers will secure direct qualification for the tournament.
Furthermore, the four best teams finishing in second place will participate in a mini-tournament, with the eventual winner earning a spot in an intercontinental play-off.
Ghana’s disappointing campaign at the recent World Cup in Qatar led to their early elimination after finishing at the bottom of Group H with just three points from three matches, securing only one victory.
Here are the pots for the draw:
Pot 1: Nigeria, Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia, Cameroon, Mali, Egypt
Pot 2: Ghana, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Cape Verde, DR Congo, Guinea, Zambia, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea
Pot 3: Angola, Benin, Kenya, Mauritania, Congo, Uganda, Madagascar, Guinea Bissau, Namibia
Pot 4: Mozambique, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Central African Republic, Malawi, Libya
Pot 5: Niger, Comoros, Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Botswana, Liberia
Pot 6: Lesotho, South Sudan, Mauritius, Chad, Sao Tome, Djibouti, Seychelles, Eritrea, Somalia
With the stage set, African teams will vie for the opportunity to represent their continent at the highly anticipated 2026 World Cup.