Semenyo Warns Black Stars Against Slow Start as Ghana Prepare for Panama Opener

Sports

17 June, 2026

Antoine Semenyo has issued a direct challenge to his Ghana team-mates: treat Wednesday evening’s World Cup opener against Panama in Toronto as the match that shapes the entire tournament, or risk joining the long list of African sides who stumbled at the first hurdle.

The Manchester City forward, speaking ahead of the Group L fixture at BMO Field, made clear that the painful memory of Ghana’s group-stage exit in Qatar four years ago still lingers in the squad. “We don’t want to end up as one of those teams on the review of the World Cup where they go on about the shock of the tournament,” he said. “We want to win and win well; it can set us up for a great tournament.”

Ghana have not won a World Cup opening match since their debut campaign in 2006, a record that weighs heavily on a squad navigating this edition without the suspended Thomas Partey and under the scrutiny of a passionate fanbase that expects nothing less than progression to the knockout rounds.

A Philosophy of Preparation

Semenyo’s insistence on readiness goes beyond match-day routine. He described a disciplined weekly cycle of training, recovery, nutrition, opponent analysis and mental reset — a regimen he has publicly aligned with his new role as Global Brand Ambassador for Ahmad Tea. “Preparation is everything,” he said. “That is not just on the day of a game in terms of eating the right foods, having your kit ready, but also in how you prepare in the week.”

It is a message that resonates with the coaching staff’s broader emphasis on professionalism. The Black Stars arrived in Canada with a squad blending European-based experience and domestic talent, and Semenyo’s comments suggest the dressing room is acutely aware that fine margins will decide whether Ghana progress or go home early once again.

Family, Pressure and the Black Stars Shirt

For Semenyo, the emotional weight of representing Ghana is inseparable from his family’s devotion to the national team. “My whole family supports Ghana,” he said. “They’re crazy when watching the games — it’s loud at home and a time for the family to come together. Having some family at the Panama game will be a very special moment.”

He also addressed the broader expectations placed on the squad, echoing a theme raised by former captain Asamoah Gyan in the build-up to the tournament. “Every time we pull on the Black Stars jersey, we are representing our nation,” Semenyo said. “If you give the ball away a few times in a game and we don’t get the win, people are going to have something to say. That’s just how it is, and we accept that.”

Yet rather than viewing that scrutiny as a burden, Semenyo framed it as fuel. “That pressure is a privilege. It’s what inspires us all to keep improving. Every time I go out there, I just want to do my best and make the country proud.”

As Ghana prepare to face Panama for the first time in competitive football, Semenyo’s words carry the weight of a squad determined not to repeat past failures. The question now is whether that resolve translates into the result that could define Ghana’s campaign at the 2026 World Cup.