Ghana’s Black Challenge begin the 2026 Amputee World Cup against Angola, the 2018 world champions, on Saturday 14 November in San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico, boosted by $500,000 of support from Gold Fields.
It is a long-awaited return for Ghana, who are back at the World Cup after eight years away. According to Kickoff Ghana, the Black Challenge, the national amputee football team, open their campaign against Angola on Saturday 14 November 2026 in San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico. It is no ordinary draw: Angola won the World Cup in 2018 and reached the final again in 2022.
The Group D match will be played at San Martin. The tournament runs from 13 to 22 November 2026 and brings together 24 nations from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, Kickoff Ghana reports.
Gold Fields puts its hand in its pocket
Getting there meant sorting out the question of funding. The Ghana Football Association (GFA) announced a $500,000 investment from Gold Fields to prepare for the World Cup, as part of a $5 million, two-year sponsorship deal covering several national teams, Kickoff Ghana reports.
Kurt Okraku, GFA president, recalled that a lack of means had already deprived Ghana of the competition despite qualifying: “Once upon a time, you arrived [at the Amputee World Cup] and could not compete at all because you did not get the support. Today, we are very confident that this team will enplane to the World Cup because Gold Fields decided to invest half a million dollars in this team.”
For his part, Samson Deen, president of Ghana’s National Paralympic Committee, added a clarification for Modern Ghana: “$250,000 out of the $500,000 from Gold Fields is for the development of amputee football.” Half the sum will therefore go to developing the sport in Ghana, and not only to preparing for the Mexican tournament.
A well-stocked African record
On the pitch, the Black Challenge arrive in Mexico with credentials. According to Kickoff Ghana, Ghana won the African amputee football championship in 2021, then gold at the first African Para Games in Accra in 2023, and retained their title in Cairo in 2024 by beating Morocco 2-1 in the final.
Their best result in the competition remains a sixth place achieved in Argentina, according to Modern Ghana. Group D brings together Angola, Colombia and Iraq.
Colombia then Iraq in three days
The schedule offers no respite: after Angola on Saturday 14 November, Ghana face Colombia on Sunday 15 at Santa Lucia 1, then Iraq on Monday 16 at Santa Lucia 2, according to Kickoff Ghana. Three matches in three days, in a tournament running from 13 to 22 November 2026.