Ghana MPs don national colours in Parliament as Black Stars prepare for World Cup opener

Ghana's Parliament turned into a sea of red, gold and green on

Wednesday as lawmakers put aside their customary formal attire to rally behind the Black Stars ahead of the country's opening match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Members of Parliament arrived in Black Stars jerseys and outfits bearing the national colours, with some draping Ghanaian flags over their shoulders in a symbolic show of support for the national team before its Group L clash against Panama in Toronto.

The parliamentary chamber echoed with chants, singing and "Jama" (the traditional football songs and drumming often used to inspire the Black Stars before major tournaments) .

The display continues a tradition that has accompanied Ghana's previous World Cup campaigns. Before the 2022 tournament in Qatar, lawmakers similarly wore national colours, while parliamentary proceedings were punctuated by messages of support for the team.

Addressing the House on Wednesday, Education Minister and MP for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, said the nation stood firmly behind the squad.

"Government is fully behind the Black Stars. Parliament stands with them," he told lawmakers.

MPs from both the governing and opposition benches used the session to express confidence in the team despite concerns over several key absences.

Builsa North MP James Agalga cited Ghana's historic run to the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup as evidence of the team's potential to exceed expectations on football's biggest stage.

However, he acknowledged the challenges facing head coach Carlos Queiroz, who must begin the campaign without several influential players. Mohammed Kudus, Alexander Djiku and Mohammed Salisu are unavailable through injury, while midfielder Thomas Partey remains sidelined because of an unresolved visa issue involving tournament co-host Canada.

Parliament's show of solidarity forms part of a broader nationwide effort to rally support behind the four-time African champions.

President John Dramani Mahama has urged Ghanaians at home and abroad to serve as the team's "12th man" by filling stadiums with the national colours and backing the squad throughout the tournament.

In a separate message to the players, he encouraged them to "play for the flag" and announced that the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation had secured free-to-air broadcast rights for all Black Stars matches, ensuring supporters across the country can follow the team's World Cup journey.

Vice-President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang also visited the squad at their Toronto hotel on Tuesday, where she delivered a message of encouragement.

"Go out there and make Ghana proud," she told the players.

Support for the Black Stars has transcended Ghana's often fiercely contested political landscape.

National Democratic Congress Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah called on citizens to put political differences aside and unite behind the national team, while New Patriotic Party presidential candidate Dr Mahamudu Bawumia released a video message wishing the squad success in the tournament.

Ghana face Panama at BMO Field in Toronto at 19:00 local time on Wednesday, the opening fixture of a Group L campaign that will also see the Black Stars take on England in Boston on 23 June and Croatia in Philadelphia four days later.

The tournament marks Ghana's fifth appearance at the FIFA World Cup. The country's finest moment on the global stage remains the 2010 tournament in South Africa, where the Black Stars came within a penalty kick of becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-finals before suffering a heartbreaking shootout defeat to Uruguay.