Black Stars defender, Gideon Mensah has said that he is embracing a leadership role in the Black Stars setup as Ghana prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The left-back, who is set to feature at his second World Cup tournament, reflected on his eight-year journey with the national team and expressed excitement about guiding younger players in the squad.

“Going to my second World Cup and being with the national team for eight years feels so good,” He said .

“I feel like an experienced player now and I also feel I have responsibility for the new boys that are coming in. That gives me a lot of excitement to be here.”

Mensah admitted his latest national team call-up came with mixed emotions due to the arrival of a new coaching staff after the qualifiers were played under a different manager.

“I think it was 50-50. I was expecting it and at the same time I was a bit surprised because there is a new coach,” he stated.

“I kept working at my club, training and playing every week, hoping the call-up would come. I always believed my performances would speak for me.”

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Looking ahead to the World Cup, Mensah stressed the importance of improving on Ghana’s performance from the previous edition, where the Black Stars failed to progress beyond the group stage.

“We are hoping to do better than our last World Cup, which is to get out of the group stage and then take it from there,” he said.

“You can aim to win the World Cup, but you need to start from somewhere. The focus now is getting out of the group stage first.”

PAH/JE

https://x.com/citisportsgha/status/2059566776367579416?s=46