World Cup 2026: Carlos Queiroz promises a stronger Ghana against Colombia

The coach of Ghana, Carlos Queiroz, assured that his team would learn from their defeat to Croatia in order to approach their knockout match against Colombia in better shape. Beaten 2-1 by the 2018 World Cup runners-up in their last outing in Group L, the Black Stars showed good intentions but once again paid for their defensive lapses. Goals from Petar Sučić and Nikola Vlašić allowed Croatia to win, despite Derrick Luckassen’s equalizer.

At the end of the match, Carlos Queiroz emphasized the change in dimension that the knockout stage now imposes. According to the Portuguese coach, mistakes can no longer be forgiven and every detail can determine qualification. “I just told my players that the real World Cup starts in the next round,” explained the former coach of Iran and Egypt. The coach continued with a metaphor to illustrate the demands of the competition. “The group stage was a warm-up. Qualifying for the next round is like getting a credit card. From now on, you have to start paying. It’s all about winning. Every match is a final, and no one can hide. It starts with the next appointment,” he stated.

Qualifying by finishing third in Group L, Ghana will challenge Colombia on Saturday at the Kansas City Stadium with the ambition of taking a new step forward. Carlos Queiroz hopes to see a more defensively rigorous team and more effective in both boxes to continue their journey in this 2026 World Cup.