Black Stars head coach Otto Addo has described Ghana’s placement in Group L — alongside England, Croatia, and Panama — as challenging but not insurmountable.

He seemed relieved, welcoming the draw and noting that his squad could have found themselves in a much nightmarish group.

Addo recognised that England and Croatia pose the biggest threats, but expressed optimism about Ghana’s chances of starting strong against Panama, their opening opponents, and building momentum from that point.

England and Croatia are part of the top 10 nations in football, according to FIFA. This means Group L will present the most elite clash, at least on paper. 

Coach Otto Addo spoke after the final draw for groups A to L on Friday, December 5, 2025, at the John F. Kennedy Centre, Washington DC, USA.

He said, "It is a tough group, but it is doable. There are worse groups. I am happy, especially for our fans on the East Coast of the USA, that they will be able to see us [Black Stars], especially if we have a good start against Panama, from there we can continue, maybe from England's perspective or from Croatia's perspective, there could be one or two surprises." 

Ghana’s recent major tournament performances have raised concerns, following a lacklustre 2022 World Cup campaign and a disappointing 2024 AFCON run that cast doubt on Addo’s leadership.

However, the Black Stars showed marked improvement during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, dominating Mali, Chad, the Central African Republic, Comoros, and Madagascar to top Group I and secure their place at the global showpiece.

Ghana takes on Panama on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. 

Read: FIFA WC 2026: Ghana's Group L 'very tricky', Asamoah Gyan says