Former Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan has opened up on the role he played in boosting the morale of the Black Stars squad ahead of their opening 2026 FIFA World Cup match against Panama.
Gyan, who joined the team camp before the tournament, said he led a special jama sessions to help players relax and take their minds off the pressure of competing on football’s biggest stage.
According to the former striker, about 85 percent of the current squad are experiencing the World Cup for the first time, making it important to keep spirits high and build confidence within the camp.
“Most of the players, I’ll say about 85 percent of them, it’s their first time going to the World Cup. I wanted to take their minds off what was ahead of them and help boost their morale,” Gyan told 3Sports.
The all-time Black Stars top scorer revealed that he organized nightly jama sessions, which quickly became a unifying activity for the squad.
“I invented the march and the jama sessions we used to have at night. Everything went very, very well. You could see the chemistry in the team before the first game. Everybody was involved, everybody was enjoying it, and everything was perfect,” he added.
Gyan’s efforts appeared to pay off as Ghana secured a dramatic 1-0 victory over Panama in their Group L opener, with the former captain later joining the players in celebrating the win in the dressing room.
The 39-year-old believes the positive atmosphere created through music, dancing and togetherness helped strengthen team unity and confidence for their crucial World Cup campaign.
