Why President Mahama has been warned to eat before watching Black Stars on Friday

President John Dramani Mahama has been cautioned to eat before attending the Black Stars' 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Chad on Friday, but he has promised to be there to support the team at the Accra Sports Stadium.

During a visit to the team's training session on Wednesday, Mahama spoke with the players to offer his encouragement.

I'll take time off and watch the game myself. Even though my heart is not very good at watching soccer, I will brave it. They say I should eat before I go and sit down. And my hope is that you would justify my sitting and watching you guys. The whole of Ghana is going to be behind you, and I'm sure that you can make it.

He added:

The whole of Ghana is going to be behind you, and I'm sure that you can, you can make it. And so, I'll encourage the GFA and the management committee. We're gonna work closely together with you so that we can create the atmosphere for not only the Black Stars but all the other junior teams to perform.

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Why President Mahama was cautioned

Over the last five years, the Black Stars have been disappointing especially in major tournaments where they have crashed out of the group stages in consecutive competition.

The warning given to the President, stems from these continuous disappointments even when they seem to be on top.

At the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, the Black Stars were in pole position to make the next round before the infamous Richard Ofori error squashed the team’s dreams in stoppage time.

This was capped by failure to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco where coach Otto Addo’s men failed to win a single match in six qualifying matches against Angola, Niger and Sudan.

The Black Stars are currently third in Group I with nine points and will aim for a win against Chad on March 21 in Accra and Madagascar on March 24 in Morocco.

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After missing out on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the team is focused on securing a spot for their fifth World Cup appearance in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.