Tariq Lamptey confident of Black Stars 2026 World Cup qualification chances

Ghana defender, Tariq Lamptey says he is confident in the Black Stars chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

The four-time African champions have significantly boosted their qualification hopes with back-to-back victories over Mali and the Central African Republic.

Ghana’s campaign began with a win against Madagascar followed by a loss to Comoros.

However, Otto Addo’s side bounced back with a 2-1 victory over Mali in Bamako and a thrilling 4-3 win against the Central African Republic at Baba Yara Stadium during their third and fourth matchdays.

These crucial victories have propelled Ghana to second place in their group, tied on nine points with group leaders Comoros.

The Black Stars are now well-positioned to contend for the top spot and secure direct World Cup qualification.

In an interview, Lamptey emphasized the importance of focusing on each match and working hard to achieve their goals.

“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,” the Brighton defender told 3Sports.

“We worked hard in the week leading up to the last two games and got the results we deserved, so hopefully, we can keep pushing and qualify,” he added.

Ghana will continue their qualification campaign against Chad and Madagascar in March 2025.

Lamptey, who made his debut for Ghana against Brazil in France, has made only eight appearances for the Black Stars over two years, mainly due to injuries.

The 23-year-old, born in Hillingdon, United Kingdom to Ghanaian parents, switched his allegiance to Ghana in 2022 after playing for England’s youth teams.