The President of the Ghana Football Association, Kurt Okraku, has revealed that Ghana’s World Cup squad will be announced on June 1 following the Black Stars’ 2-0 defeat to Mexico in an international friendly on Saturday.
Despite the loss, Okraku insisted the exercise achieved its intended purpose, particularly for Ghana’s emerging players and members of the U-23 side preparing for Olympic qualifiers.
Taking to Facebook after the game, the GFA boss wrote: “Objective accomplished! This event has provided significant stage exposure for the majority of our U-23 players, who will soon assemble for the Olympic qualifiers, as well as other players who had limited playing time.”
He added: “The World Cup squad announcement is scheduled for June 1st. Let’s maintain our collective support for our stars!!”
Okraku stressed that the match offered Ghana an important opportunity to test players who are not regular members of the senior national team setup.
“This presents a considerable chance for our U23 squad to garner essential experience, as they are not typically involved in matches of such high stature, thereby allowing them to gain priceless exposure,” he stated.
The GFA President further noted that the technical team also benefited from assessing unfamiliar players at close range.
“Furthermore, it offers a substantial opportunity for us to evaluate players with whom we may be less acquainted, having perhaps only previously known them through reports,” he explained.
Ghana fielded a youthful side against Mexico, with several fringe and home-based players handed opportunities to impress ahead of the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Okraku acknowledged the challenges associated with assembling a largely inexperienced squad within a short period but urged supporters to focus on the positives.
