President John Dramani Mahama has taken a lighthearted swipe at the Black Stars, joking that players who cannot sing Ghana’s national anthem should not have a place on the team.
Speaking in reference to the squad’s outing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the President observed that while players from other competing nations sang their anthems with visible pride and unity, some members of the Black Stars appeared unable to join in during Ghana’s matches.
“During the World Cup, our players couldn’t sing the national anthem, while players from other countries sang with pride. If you cannot sing the anthem, you cannot be in the team,” Mahama said, drawing laughter from those around him.
Ghana made their fifth appearance at the FIFA World Cup this year, drawn into a demanding Group L alongside Panama, England, and Croatia, with matches played across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The President had previously rallied the nation behind the team ahead of their opening fixture, urging players to “play for the flag” and represent the country with pride.
While delivered in jest, Mahama’s comment taps into a broader conversation among Ghanaians about national pride, patriotism, and what it means to represent the country on the world stage.
It follows a tournament campaign that stirred significant public emotion, from celebration at qualification to renewed scrutiny of the team’s conduct and performance once the competition got underway.
The Presidency has not indicated that the remark reflects any official policy on squad selection, and it is widely being received as one of Mahama’s characteristic informal asides rather than a serious directive.
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