28/08/2026
🇬🇭 TEAM FOCUS : GHANA
There is unfinished business in Hanoi for one of the most highly regarded teams in the association. They were not part of the first Hanoi World Cup in 2021, but that same year they made their mark elsewhere, winning the inaugural Afro-American Cup in a campaign that quickly established them as a team to watch... And their route to the title was anything but quiet.
They began the group stage with a victory over Latin America (2-1) before producing an important 3–1 win against rivals Nigeria.
Against a good looking Algeria side in the semifinal, they came through a remarkable 6–3 contest to reach the final. There, they faced Latin America again. Having already beaten them in the group stage, they completed the double with a convincing 3–0 victory to lift the Afro-American Cup trophy for the first time.
Five years on, that title remains an important part of their identity. But it is no longer enough to simply remember what they achieved.
YEARS OF TOGETHERNESS
One of the team's biggest advantages heading into Hanoi 2026 is something that cannot easily be bought or assembled : familiarity. A large part of the squad has been playing together for several years. That continuity has allowed the players to develop an understanding of each other's game, also possessing considerable individual quality. That balance between individual talent and collective chemistry is one of the reasons they are widely considered among the most promising teams in the competition.
THE CAPTAIN WHO WON'T BE THERE
There will, however, be a notable absence in Hanoi. Muhammed Huzaif, the team's emblematic captain, will not be part of the 2026 campaign. For a side that has grown together over several years, losing such an important figure naturally changes the dynamic. Huzaif's presence has been closely associated with the team, particularly since their breakthrough at the 2021 Afro-American Cup... But the squad knows that it cannot spend the tournament looking backwards.
His legacy remains, and the players now have the opportunity to carry it forward. The responsibility will be shared among a group that has spent years building its own identity alongside him.
THE TARGET IS NO SECRET
They missed the first Hanoi World Cup. Five years later, they arrive in the Vietnamese capital with a major trophy already on their résumé, a squad that knows each other extremely well, and a wave of supporters ready to make themselves heard.
Muhammed Huzaif will not be leading them onto the pitch this time. But his team is still here.
And they are coming to Hanoi with one very clear objective : to finish what they started in 2021 and add the World Cup to their trophy cabinet.
