By VICTOR OKOYE

Ghana may have landed one of the toughest African draws for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being grouped with England, Croatia and Panama.

The draw, held at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., revealed opponents for Africa’s nine qualified teams for the expanded 48-nation tournament.

It marks the first major milestone ahead of the Mundial scheduled for June 11 to July 18, across Canada, the United States and Mexico

The 2026 edition features 12 groups of four teams, with the top two and the best eight third-placed sides advancing to the knockout rounds.

African Teams’ World Cup Groups

Group A: Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, European play-off D

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti

Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curacao

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, European play-off B

Group G: Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand

Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde

Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, FIFA Playoff tournament 2

Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan

Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana

With anticipation building, Africa’s representatives now begin full preparation for a World Cup expected to be the biggest and most competitive yet. (NAN)

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