President John Dramani Mahama has commended the Black Stars for exceeding expectations at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The president said many football fans and critics had predicted that Ghana would exit the tournament at the group stage, but the team defied expectations by advancing to the Round of 32.

"The Black Stars did well. Nobody gave them a chance. People predicted they would crash out at the group stage, but they managed to get into the Round of 32," President Mahama said.

Speaking after inspecting the Ho Sports Stadium, the president said keeping the current group of players together and encouraging the technical team to continue their work would strengthen Ghana's chances of winning major competitions.

"I'm sure that if we keep this team and we persuade the coach to continue to work with the team, by the time of the next AFCON and the time of the next World Cup, we'll have a team that can claim the championship in any of those two competitions," he said.

President Mahama added that Ghana must begin preparations early for future competitions by investing in the necessary infrastructure to support the national teams.

Ho Sports Stadium to be transformed into modern facility

The president also announced plans for the reconstruction of the Ho Sports Stadium into a modern multi-purpose facility as part of efforts to improve Ghana's sporting infrastructure.

He said the redevelopment of the stadium would coincide with Ghana's 70th anniversary celebrations next year, to ensure that the facility is transformed into a world-class sporting and entertainment centre.

"As we know, Ghana celebrates its 70th anniversary next year, and so we want that, by the time this stadium is also 70 years old, we have reconstructed it into a very modern facility," he said.

According to President Mahama, the strategic location of the stadium within the Ho Municipality and the availability of nearby land provide an opportunity to create a modern facility that can serve multiple purposes.

"It has a very strategic central location in the municipality, which is an advantage, and it has sufficient land around it to build a very modern stadium here," he stated.

He explained that the government would provide funding for the project, develop the designs, and engage residents and traditional authorities before construction begins.

"We'll allocate the funds, we'll do the designs, the designs will be brought back here, public interaction on the designs will be done, and after that we'll cut a sod for the work to commence," he said.

The president added that once the designs are completed, traditional leaders and stakeholders in the municipality would be given the opportunity to review and approve the final outlook of the facility before construction starts.

"Once they sign off on it, we'll start. We'll come here again and cut the sod and start the construction," he added.

Facility to support 24-hour economy

President Mahama said the new stadium would not be limited to football activities but would be developed as a multi-use facility with commercial and entertainment components.

"We want it to be a multi-use facility, not only for soccer, but it must have other entertainment complexes," he said.

He explained that the idea is to ensure that the facility remains active even when football matches are not being played.

"The problem we have with most stadiums is that when we're not playing soccer, we're not doing anything with the stadium. So this stadium would have shops; it will have entertainment, it will have restaurants, and different facilities," he said.

He added that the facility would support the government's 24-hour economy initiative by allowing people to use the space beyond traditional match days.

"Even if we're not playing soccer, in the spirit of the 24-hour economy initiative, people will still come and use the stadium," he stated.

The president said the reconstructed stadium would feature a modern grass pitch with a computerised irrigation system for maintaining the playing surface, as well as different categories of stands to improve the spectator experience.

Ghana targets more CAF-standard stadiums

President Mahama further disclosed that the government intends to develop at least five stadiums across the country capable of hosting major Confederation of African Football (CAF) competitions.

"We want over the next few years to have at least five stadiums in this country that can host CAF competitions properly," he said.

He noted that Ghana's last major hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations was in 2008 and believes the country should begin preparing for another opportunity, possibly in partnership with neighbouring countries.

"Since 2008, after we hosted the AFCON, the time is almost near for us to host another AFCON. Maybe in conjunction with our neighbours, we can come together ourselves, Côte d'Ivoire, and then host," he said.

The president added that improved sports infrastructure would also help Ghana prepare adequately for future FIFA World Cup campaigns.

He said the combination of a competitive national team and world-class facilities would strengthen Ghana's ambition to achieve greater success on the international stage.