Mohammed Kudus says Ghana must “qualify at all costs” for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the decisive fixture against Comoros on Sunday set to determine the Black Stars’ fate.
Otto Addo’s side top Group I and need a draw against Comoros to book a fifth appearance at the finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Ghana host the Southern Africans at the Accra Sports Stadium to host Comoros on Sunday, 12 October.
The equation is straightforward: win the game, remove any arithmetic, and maintain momentum into the final international window.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated, the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder admitted the sting of missing the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations still lingers, but insisted the focus has shifted fully to the World Cup.
“Obviously, AFCON is also one of the major tournaments that the country loves and wants to participate in. Not qualifying was a big disappointment, but I think the full focus now is on the World Cup qualifiers,” he said.
Kudus framed the next week as both a sporting target and a matter of national duty.
“I think you represent your country like a one-time thing. That’s the one with the biggest emotion and feeling for me. It means a lot wearing that jersey with a lot of pride,” he noted, before underlining the team’s stance: “We have to qualify at all costs. I think we are on the right path now.”
The 25-year-old also evoked Ghana’s modern World Cup history as a bar to clear, not merely admire.
“In 2010, we went all the way to the quarterfinals. And I believe this squad can do even more than that. But first we have to qualify, and then we can focus on the tournament itself.”
Addo’s squad have given themselves margin with a run built on control and cleaner finishing. Seven wins, one draw and one defeat have taken the Black Stars to the top of a fiercely contested section; 19 points leave them with a buffer going into the home straight.
The task now is to close the door: and Comoros’ compact shape and threat in transition demand patience and clarity in Accra.
Selection will be watched closely after a demanding club period for several regulars, but Ghana’s depth has strengthened across the window. The spine around which Addo has built — a settled goalkeeper, a defence tidier on set-plays, a midfield platform that frees the front line to press — has given the side a more reliable floor.
Kudus has been central to that shift, combining ball-carrying through traffic with end product around the box, while the supporting cast in the final third have added goals and assists at key moments.
Beyond the immediate qualification maths sits a bigger picture. With the 2026 World Cup expanding to 48 teams — and Africa’s allocation rising to nine automatic berths — Ghana’s return to the global stage would align a buoyant football story with broader national ambitions.
A ticket to North America brings visibility, commercial opportunities and a unifying rally point for supporters at home and in the diaspora.
None of that, Kudus cautions, counts without results in the next two games. The Black Stars have seen campaigns unravel late before, and the message from the camp is to treat Wednesday and Sunday as cup ties: manage game state, take chances, and keep concentration through 90 minutes.
Win in Accra becomes celebratory; avoid defeat on Sunday, and Ghana’s place is sealed. For Kudus, whose words echo the mood of a fanbase ready to believe again, the standard is clear — no alibis, no drift, just a finish that matches the ambition.
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