Ghana will be back in 2026 after missing out on the 2022 World Cup, bringing a physically strong squad with them. The team boasts a world-class player in Mohammed Kudus, whose goal secured Ghana’s World Cup qualification. Group L, featuring England and Croatia, is a challenge – but Ghana is capable of springing surprises.

Manager Carlos Queiroz has named three goalkeepers for the Black Stars: Benjamin Asare, Lawrence Ati-Zigi and Joseph Anang. Ghana are taking part in the World Cup for the fourth time – following appearances in 2006, 2010 and 2022 – and will face Panama, England and Croatia in Group L. The trio of goalkeepers tell three very different stories: A 33-year-old who played completely under the radar for years and is suddenly the nation’s number one, a long-serving first-choice keeper who could find himself on the bench for the first time, and a 25-year-old from the West Ham academy who once played for England.

Asare’s story is one of the most unlikely in the entire World Cup squad. For years he played in the Ghana Premier League, initially for Accra City Stars and Great Olympics, without ever catching the eye of the national team. The low point came with Great Olympics’ relegation at the end of the 2023/24 season. Shortly afterwards, he moved to Hearts of Oak, where he produced some of the most consistent goalkeeping performances in the league and was called up to the senior squad for the first time in March 2025. What followed caught Ghana’s attention: two qualifying matches, two clean sheets, a 5-0 win against Chad and a 3-0 victory over Madagascar. Coach Otto Addo subsequently declared him the number one goalkeeper in public. Throughout the qualifiers, Asare played in six matches and conceded just one goal. Hearts of Oak extended his contract until 2027, and he was named Male Home-Based Footballer of the Year at the SWAG Awards.

Ati-Zigi is 29 years old, was born in Tamale and has been the first-choice goalkeeper for FC St. Gallen in the Swiss Super League since 2020. He made his way there via Red Bull Ghana, Red Bull Salzburg, FC Liefering and Sochaux, before moving to Switzerland and establishing himself as a fan favourite with over 200 competitive appearances. He played in all three group matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and was the undisputed number one for the Black Stars for years. Then came Asare.

What makes the situation particularly interesting now is that Ati-Zigi is finishing the 2025/26 season in perhaps the best form of his career. St. Gallen won the Swiss Cup, their first club title since 1969, and Ati-Zigi was a key factor in that success. Manager Queiroz and the Ghanaian public are watching this closely. Asare’s mistake against Mexico gives Ati-Zigi a real chance of starting the tournament.

Anang is 25 years old and has had a career path that could hardly have been more straightforward. Born in Teshie near Accra, he grew up in England and came through the full West Ham Academy programme from 2017 to 2024, including loan spells at Stevenage and Derby County. He played for the England Under-20s before opting to represent Ghana. What makes his story special is that his first loan spell at St Patrick’s Athletic in Dublin in 2022 became a real labour of love. He kept 12 clean sheets in six months, played every minute and returned on a permanent contract after leaving West Ham in 2024. He was voted the club’s Player of the Year in 2025. He has made just one senior appearance for Ghana so far, but at 25, he is the goalkeeper with the brightest future prospects of the trio.