AmaZulu goalkeeper Richard Ofori remains determined to represent Ghana at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite not featuring in any of the qualifiers for the Black Stars.
Ofori, who was appointed vice-captain of the national team alongside Thomas Partey by former coach Chris Hughton, has not played for Ghana since the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast last year.
His last appearance came in the last group-stage clash against Mozambique, where a costly error led to Ghana conceding late. Ofori spilled a ball that resulted in a corner kick, from which Reinildo Mandava of Nottingham Forest headed home Geny Catamo’s delivery in stoppage time.
The match ended 2-2, a result that saw Ghana eliminated from the tournament. Hughton was subsequently dismissed and replaced by Otto Addo, who has since guided the Black Stars to another World Cup qualification—having done so previously in 2022.
Ofori missed the 2022 tournament in Qatar due to injury while still playing for Orlando Pirates.
“Every player dreams of playing at the World Cup,” said Ofori.
“It’s a great achievement for the country to qualify for the fifth time. When I was at home watching the qualifiers, I couldn’t sit still—it was so tense.
“I must congratulate Ghana and the Black Stars because they’ve done it again. They beat Nigeria to qualify for 2022, and now they’ve done it once more. As players, we have to prepare well and face the challenges ahead because it’s the biggest stage in football.”
At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Ghana were placed in Group H, where they lost to Portugal, defeated South Korea, and were eliminated after a defeat to Uruguay, missing out on a place in the knockout stages.
“The opportunity is there again,” Ofori added. “We just need to prepare well, keep pushing every day, and make sure we do things right to make it an exciting World Cup.”
Addo, who represented Ghana at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, has now become the first African coach to lead an African nation to the World Cup in consecutive editions.
However, Ofori’s path back to the Black Stars may prove challenging. He was not involved in Ghana’s 2025 AFCON qualifiers, where the team ultimately failed to qualify.
“No, recently I haven’t been in contact with him [Addo],” Ofori admitted.
“Before, he used to call me. He’s a good man—he always checked on his players and never abandoned anyone. But I understand he was focused on the squad during the intense World Cup qualification campaign.
“We have to congratulate them. We’re all Ghanaians, and we must support the team whether we’re at home or abroad. We need to pull in the same direction. I believe things will turn out well.”
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