2026 WC: Kudus, key players' injuries affected Ghana's performance - Roger De Sa

Roger De Sa, assistant coach for the Black Stars, believes Ghana's performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup was affected by the absence of several key players, including Mohammed Kudus, who missed the tournament due to injury. Kudus, along with Mohammed Salisu, Alexander Djiku, and Abu Francis, was ruled out of Ghana's final 26-man squad after picking up different injuries before the competition. De Sa explained that losing four regular members of the squad, especially in defence, forced the technical team to depend on younger and less experienced players. He stated, "We had lost four regular players, including both centre-backs, a winger from Tottenham Hotspur (Mohammed Kudus) and a midfielder."

The South African coach, who joined the technical team ahead of the tournament, noted that the absence of experienced players created challenges for the team's preparations and selection process. He also pointed to the difficulty of assessing players before the tournament, stating that some of the options available to the technical team were not getting enough playing time at their clubs. Despite these setbacks, Ghana began the World Cup campaign positively, beating Panama 1-0 in their opening Group L match before holding England to a goalless draw. However, the Black Stars suffered a 2-1 defeat to Croatia in their next match.