Ghana’s goalkeepers’ trainer Fatawu Dauda has shared his thoughts on the Black Stars’ upcoming high-profile friendly matches against Germany national football team, Austria national football team and Mexico national football team as preparations intensify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will feature an expanded 48-team format. Ghana national football team secured one of Africa’s nine automatic qualification slots and have been drawn in Group L alongside the England national football team, the Croatia national football team and the Panama national football team.
As part of their build-up, the Ghana Football Association has arranged friendly matches against Germany and Austria in March 2026, before a further test against Mexico in May.
Dauda, who represented Ghana at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, described the friendlies as vital assessment tools rather than mere exhibition games.
“That’s two high-profile games. They have all qualified for the World Cup, and it’s a good test for us as technical team and players. We look forward to those games. It can give us ideas about how we should prepare for the 2026 World Cup,” he said.
According to him, the fixtures will provide the technical team with valuable insights into squad cohesion, tactical flexibility and how individual players cope under elite-level pressure.
With the Mundial fast approaching, Dauda believes these encounters will offer a realistic gauge of Ghana’s readiness and help fine-tune strategies aimed at making a strong impression on football’s biggest stage.
