Ghana’s Black Stars have departed Rhode Island for Toronto as they step up preparations for their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Panama.

The four-time African champions departed Rhode Island after spending the past week in the United States, where they have been engaged in intensive training ahead of the start of their Group L campaign.

Ghana will kick off their World Cup journey against the Central American side on Wednesday, June 16, in a fixture widely regarded as vital to their hopes of progressing from a challenging group.

The Black Stars are expected to hold their official pre-match training session at BMO Field on Tuesday, with the technical team using the final workout to fine-tune tactics and assess the squad ahead of the encounter.

Wednesday’s clash is scheduled to kick off at 19:00 GMT.

After facing Panama, Ghana will return to the United States for their remaining group-stage matches.

The West African nation will take on England at Gillette Stadium on June 23 before wrapping up their Group L campaign against Croatia on June 27.

The Black Stars enter the tournament eager to reverse a disappointing trend at recent World Cups. Ghana suffered group-stage exits at both the 2014 tournament in Brazil and the 2022 edition in Qatar.

With memories of their remarkable run to the quarter-finals at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa still fresh, Otto Addo’s side will be aiming to secure a place in the knockout stages for the first time in 16 years.