World Cup: Why Ghana’s White ‘Ananse’ Jersey Will Miss the Group Stage
The 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup, the first to feature 48 teams, kicks off on Thursday, June 11, 2026.
The Black Stars of Ghana are making their fifth World Cup appearance and have been placed in Group L alongside England, Croatia and Panama.
Ghana’s Black Stars start with a game against the Canal Men of Panama in Canada at the BMO Field, then play at the Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, United States, against England, and wrap up the group stage at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia against the Checkered Ones of Croatia.
The South Africa 2010 quarter-finalists’ outfit has sparked heated debate among Ghanaians at home and abroad, as well as on social media.
The two jerseys, the popular white one featuring the Ananse design and the yellow one depicting Ghana’s colours, have emerged as the preferred kits for the tournament’s group stage games.
On a lighter note, Ghanaians who prefer the yellow-dominated jersey have the option of seeing the Black Stars wear it in all their group-stage matches.
The official communication from the Ghana Football Association to FIFA highlighted the yellow-dominated jersey for their home games, while the Ananse-inscribed jersey serves as the one for away games.
Carlos Queiroz’s team will be in the preferred yellow-dominated jersey since they will be the home side to Panama in Canada, which coincidentally is their only time they play as such during the competition.
Ghanaians would have been thrilled to see the Black Stars play their second match against England while wearing the jersey bearing the Ananse inscription. Since their opponents’ home uniform is white, the African giant must keep their yellow-dominated jersey to prevent a clash of colours.
The West African side would have to maintain the jersey used for the earlier games in the group stage since they play against Croatia as an away side, and the white Ananse-inscribed jersey will remain sidelined.
The Black Stars kit was ranked ahead of football giants such as Brazil, Argentina and Germany to claim the top spot, which is a statement of Ghanaian pride, culture and identity on the global stage, according to rankings published by the New York Times.
