ACCRA, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Ghana head coach Otto Addo and former captain Asamoah Gyan on Thursday voiced confidence in the Black Stars' prospects at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite being drawn into a demanding group.

Ghana will face England, Croatia and Panama in Group L at the tournament to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Both Addo and Gyan, former internationals for the Black Stars, said they believe Ghana can advance to the knockout stage.

Speaking to international media after the draw, Addo said his focus would be evenly spread across all group matches, with early momentum a key priority.

"There is no particular game I look forward to the most; every game is special," Addo said. "I am looking at each game equally and hoping that we have a good start against Panama."

Addo acknowledged England as the group favorite but stressed that Ghana must approach each opponent with the same level of respect and concentration.

Gyan described the group as challenging but said the Black Stars have the quality and experience to progress.

"It is a very tricky group, and all teams want to qualify, so we will do our best," Gyan said in comments to international media at the Kennedy Center in Washington shortly after the draw.

Ghana has reached the World Cup finals four times. Their most recent appearance came in 2022 in Qatar, where they were eliminated at the group stage. ■