“If you can’t sing the national anthem, you can’t be in the team” — Mahama tells Black Stars

President John Dramani Mahama has declared that only players who can proudly sing Ghana’s national anthem deserve a place in the Black Stars, criticizing what he described as a lack of passion shown by some members of the team during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Speaking after Ghana’s World Cup campaign, President Mahama said he was disappointed to see some Black Stars players remain silent during the national anthem while players from other countries sang with pride before matches.

“If you can’t sing the national anthem, you can’t be in the team,” the President said.

He stressed that representing Ghana should go beyond footballing ability and must also reflect commitment, patriotism and pride in wearing the national colours.

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Mahama’s comments come after the Black Stars exited the tournament in the Round of 32 following a 1-0 defeat to Colombia, despite progressing from the group stage with disciplined performances against Panama, England and Croatia.