Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo says he is focused on making a strong impact at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while urging the Black Stars to be fully prepared for a difficult Group L campaign.
Ghana will face England, Croatia, and Panama in a challenging group, with Semenyo set for a highly anticipated clash against England—the country of his birth—on June 23 in Boston.
Speaking on the In The Mixer podcast, the Ghana national football team attacker stressed that every opponent must be taken seriously.
“It’s going to be tough, but yeah, I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “It’s a tough group because you can’t underestimate Panama. You think it’s easy, but it’s not that easy. It will be a tough game; they won’t be a pushover.”
He also acknowledged the strength of their other opponents.
“Croatia and England are obviously top teams. Trying to get out of the group is what we want essentially, but it’s not going to be easy at all.”
Semenyo, who switched allegiance to Ghana in 2022, said the decision was straightforward and driven by the opportunity to play international football at the highest level.
“Ghana came at 20, 21? and I can’t turn down playing first team for Ghana, so it was such an easy decision,” he explained. “It was never a difficult decision. I was never in the England rankings like that anyway.”
Now a key figure for Manchester City, the 26-year-old is expected to play a central attacking role for the Black Stars in the tournament.
He also reflected on the intense pressure that comes with representing Ghana on the global stage.
“In Ghana, the expectation is that every ball I touch has to be in the back of the net. If it’s not, you’re crap. That’s how they are,” Semenyo said. “They love football over there; football is everything, so when we don’t do well, it’s a meltdown. There’s a lot of pressure.”
Ghana begin their World Cup campaign against Panama in Toronto on June 17 before facing Croatia and England, with qualification to the knockout stage their immediate goal.
