Ghana’s final preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have suffered a setback after Honduras withdrew from a planned international friendly scheduled for June 9.

The match, which was expected to be played behind closed doors, formed part of the Black Stars’ final build-up ahead of the tournament in North America.

It had been arranged after an earlier attempt to secure a friendly against Jamaica fell through.

However, the fixture will no longer take place following Honduras’ withdrawal, leaving Ghana without one of its key warm-up games before the World Cup.

Head coach Carlos Queiroz and his technical team had earmarked the encounter as an important opportunity to fine-tune tactical plans and assess player fitness.

The technical staff were also keen to build on insights from Ghana’s 1-1 draw with Wales earlier this week, a performance that showed promise but also highlighted areas needing improvement.

Despite the cancellation, Ghana’s overall preparation schedule remains unchanged. The team is expected to travel to Toronto, where final camp activities will continue ahead of their opening Group L fixture against Panama on June 17 at BMO Field.

Ghana will then face England on June 23 at Gillette Stadium before concluding their group-stage campaign against Croatia on June 27.

The Black Stars, making their fifth appearance at the World Cup, are aiming to reach the knockout stage for the first time since their memorable quarter-final run in 2010. They exited at the group stage in both 2014 and 2022.