Ghanaian defender Tariq Lamptey has voiced his confidence in the Black Stars' prospects of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. The four-time African champions boosted their chances with consecutive wins against Mali and the Central African Republic.
The Black Stars began their campaign with a win against Madagascar and a loss to Comoros. They then stunned the Eagles with a 2-1 victory in Bamako and followed it up with a thrilling 4-3 win at the Baba Yara Stadium during matchdays three and four.
These pivotal victories have moved Ghana to second place in their group, tied with leaders Comoros on nine points. The Black Stars are now in a strong position to challenge for the top spot and secure direct qualification for the World Cup.
In an interview with 3Sports, Lamptey stressed the importance of focusing on each game and working hard to achieve their objectives. "I think we definitely believe in ourselves [to qualify for the World Cup]; we have the talent as we know. We have to focus on what the coach has to say to us. Take it game by game, work as hard as possible, and hopefully, the results will show. We worked hard in the week, the build-up to the last two games, and we got the results we deserved so hopefully we can keep pushing and qualify," Lamptey said.
Ghana will resume their qualification campaign against Chad and Madagascar in March 2025.
Lamptey, who made his Ghana debut against Brazil in France, has made just eight appearances for the Black Stars over two years, primarily due to injuries. Born in Hillingdon, United Kingdom, to Ghanaian parents, the 23-year-old switched his allegiance to Ghana in 2022 after representing England’s youth teams.
