Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams says the Black Stars may not boast the biggest names in world football, but he believes the team has the spirit, support, and momentum to make a deep run at the FIFA World Cup.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, the minister pointed to growing excitement among Ghanaians both at home and abroad as evidence that the national team will enjoy massive backing throughout the tournament.

The Buem MP's comments come amid increasing anticipation ahead of the competition, with Ghanaian supporters across the diaspora already mobilising to follow the team.

“I think the energy level is quite high,” Mr Adams said.

According to him, the enthusiasm was evident from the reception the team received upon arriving in North America.

“If you observe, even when the chief arrived in the United States at that late point, the number of Ghanaians who were at the airport and at the hotel to welcome them should tell you one thing, that Ghanaians in America are ready for the team.”

He said support for the Black Stars extends beyond the United States.

“Ghanaians in Canada are ready, and Ghanaians even in Europe are planning to travel that far to also go and watch on their own, and the energy is building up also in Accra here and beyond.”

The minister argued that the level of commitment being shown by supporters gives the team a strong platform heading into the tournament.

“In terms of preparation of funds, whether you are talking about Ghanaians in diaspora or Africans in diaspora generally, they are yearning to be behind Ghana, and so I must say that many things are falling in place for us.”

Mr Adams suggested that the circumstances surrounding Ghana’s World Cup campaign could work in the team’s favour, particularly because expectations are relatively modest compared to previous generations of players.

“That is why I say that this World Cup, you may think that we don’t have the stars, but let me tell you that we have a team that has a certain spirit behind them that will take us very far.”

He also pointed to the tournament draw and match locations as factors that could give Ghana a psychological advantage.

“Just analyse and look at even the draws that we did. Look at the positioning, the cities that we got. These are cities that are heavily loaded with Ghanaians.”

The minister singled out Toronto as one example.

“If you go to Canada, you will all know that Toronto has a huge black population, Ghanaians are there, we didn’t choose it.”

Mr Adams believes the combination of strong diaspora support and the underdog tag could help inspire the Black Stars to exceed expectations.

“Often when you’re in the underdog, nobody gives a dog’s chance,” he said, suggesting that Ghana could use that perception as motivation to surprise its critics on football’s biggest stage.