Ghana defender Tariq Lamptey has expressed strong confidence in the Black Stars’ ability to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Speaking in an interview with 3Sports, the Brighton & Hove Albion full-back stressed the importance of discipline, hard work, and taking the qualification campaign one game at a time.
Ghana’s journey in the qualifiers began with mixed results, as the four-time African champions recorded a victory over Madagascar before suffering a setback with a defeat to Comoros. The loss increased pressure on the team to respond positively in their subsequent fixtures.
The Black Stars, however, rose to the challenge with two impressive performances in the latest round of matches. Ghana secured a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Mali in Bamako before edging Central African Republic 4–3 in an entertaining encounter.
Those crucial wins have lifted Ghana to second place in their qualifying group, level on nine points with leaders Comoros. With several matches still to be played, the Black Stars are firmly in contention for top spot and direct qualification to the World Cup.
“We definitely believe in ourselves to qualify for the World Cup; we have the talent,” Lamptey said. “We just have to focus on what the coach tells us, take it game by game, and work as hard as possible. We prepared well for the last two matches and got the results we deserved, so hopefully we can keep pushing and qualify.”
Lamptey made his senior debut for Ghana in an international friendly against Brazil in France and has since earned eight caps for the Black Stars. His international appearances have been limited largely due to injury setbacks over the past two years.
Born in Hillingdon, United Kingdom, to Ghanaian parents, the 23-year-old switched his international allegiance to Ghana in 2022 after representing England at youth level. He remains determined to play a key role in Ghana’s quest to return to football’s biggest stage in 2026.
