Former Black Stars management committee member Ernest Thompson has named the teams he is optimistic Ghana Black Stars can ably take on, and those he was not too sure about at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

He spoke on Sporty FM about Ghana's upcoming fifth campaign at the global showpiece.

He said the teams to avoid in the group stages were all European champions.

"I wouldn't like us to play Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and most probably France," the former Hearts of Oak Board Secretary outlined.

The teams he was confident Ghana could match included a South American icon.

"England, I don't mind," Thompson opined, explaining: "When we meet England, it's a different ballgame; it’s like a colonial master and his subject who wants to fight. We learned football from them, and I think we can rise up."

"Brazil play just like us," he observed, "with individual flair and creativity."

He recalled our last encounter against the South Americans. 

"But we didn’t play the right tactics. We defended too high and left spaces at the back. Ronaldo saw it and took advantage. It all depends on getting the tactics right,” Thompson assessed.

Ultimately, the for Ghana Football Association (GFA) executive was confident Coach Otto Addo's boys, with the right mindset, preparation and approach, could excel in the games jointly hosted this time round by Canada, United States of America, and Mexico.

The group stage draw for the games are scheduled for December 5, 2025, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, USA.