Black Challenge unveil World Cup squad as Gold Fields pledges $500,000 to Ghana amputee team

Pinned summary · as of 15:29

The Black Challenge, Ghana's amputee footballers, will meet Angola, Colombia and Iraq in Group D at the 2026 WAFF World Cup. The tournament, hosted by the Mexican town of San Juan de los Lagos, is scheduled for 13 to 22 November. At a ceremony in Accra, the squad was presented and a $500,000 pledge from Gold Fields was announced.

What we know

• Group D of the World Cup brings together Ghana, Angola, Colombia and Iraq.
• The 24-nation tournament will be staged in San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico, between 13 and 22 November 2026.
• Ghana booked their place by defending the African crown in Cairo in 2024, beating Morocco 2-1 in the final. The Black Challenge had also been continental winners in 2021 and took gold at the first African Para Games, staged in Accra during 2023.
• Angola, one of Ghana's group opponents, lifted the world title in Mexico in 2018 and lost the 2022 final to Türkiye.
• The squad was presented at the ESP Hotel in Accra, with Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams among the guests. A training camp in Turkey is expected before the team flies to Mexico.
• Gold Fields has promised $500,000 to the team, and $250,000 of that sum is expected to go towards preparing for the World Cup. The Ghana Football Association also named the mining company as a supporter of the preparations.
• Mr Adams called on Corporate Ghana to back the players while they prepare instead of waiting for results. “Don’t wait for them to win a trophy, help them to win the trophies,” he said.
• The minister said he had asked team leaders to bring paperwork so the government can follow up on pledges that were made only verbally.
• Samson Deen, who leads the National Paralympic Committee of Ghana, announced cash rewards under the Target the Podium Initiative: GH₵10,000 per player and GH₵5,000 per official, payable if the team reaches the initiative's goal. He described the money as a boost for morale in camp and a help with practical needs.
• The Ghana Football Association pledged its backing, alongside the sports ministry and the country's amputee football body, with selection, camping and tactical work still to come.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Ghana Sports News reported that the squad numbers 15 players; that count has not appeared in other reports.
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  Ghana Sports News also described Angola as the only African country to have won the world amputee title. No other report makes that claim.
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  The Vaultz News reported earlier that a team delegation asked the sports ministry for financial help, and that Mr Adams promised to consider the sponsorship request carefully. It also gave the team's formation year as 2007, six World Cup appearances and a best finish of sixth in 2012. No other report has confirmed these details.

Why it matters for Ghana

Ghana go to Mexico as African champions, so fans at home can follow a side with a recent winning record that faces a former world champion in Angola. The money question is central for the squad: the sports minister has asked companies to help early, and the players' cash rewards depend on hitting a target. Attention on the draw and the Accra send-off also brings wider notice to amputee football in Ghana.