World Cup 2026: It was an 'extraordinary and remarkable' competition - Black Stars assistant coach Roger De Sa

[caption id="attachment_1322092" align="alignnone" width="855"] Roger De Sa[/caption]

Black Stars assistant coach Roger De Sa has referred to the 2026 FIFA World Cup as an unforgettable and well-coordinated event, despite Ghana's early exit in the Round of 32.

The South African coach joined Ghana's technical staff in preparation for the global tournament held in North America and contributed to the Black Stars' efforts.

Ghana kicked off the tournament with a hard-fought 1-0 win against Panama, followed by a goalless stalemate with England.

However, a 2-1 loss to Croatia in their final Group L match left the Black Stars in third place in the standings, leading them to the Round of 32, where they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia, concluding their World Cup adventure.

In an interview with KickOff, De Sa reflected on the tournament, commending its organization and labeling every detail of the event as top-notch.

"You know, World Cups are always special, you go to one or two of them, and they always get better, you know. The third one is even better," he stated during his conversation with KickOff. "I thought it was a fantastic tournament, very well organised. Great stadiums, great hotels, everything has been good. Good crowds, the stadiums are full," he continued, revealing a challenge he encountered during the event.

Despite his favorable review, De Sa acknowledged that the considerable travel between host cities was challenging for both players and coaching staff.

"If there was one difficulty, I think it was the travel. The cities were quite distant sometimes, in different time zones. So that does have an effect on all the teams. The travel is a bit taxing on the players," he remarked.

With the World Cup campaign now behind them, Ghana will shift its focus to the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Black Stars have been placed in Group C alongside Ivory Coast, Somalia, and The Gambia, with the qualifying matches set to commence in September as Ghana aims to secure a spot in the continental tournament.