Black Stars captain Jordan Ayew has played down Ghana’s defeat to Croatia, describing it as a “one-off” as his side shift focus to Saturday’s knockout showdown against Colombia.
Ghana ended their group campaign with a disappointing loss to Croatia, but Ayew insists the result does not reflect the team’s true quality heading into the Round of 32.
“The Croatia game was a one-off game, so let’s take it like that,” Ayew said.
“But the Colombia game is a knockout game, so it’s going to be totally different.”
The Ghana captain, who has been a vocal leader in Carlos Queiroz’s squad, knows the stakes could not be higher. A win against Colombia would send the Black Stars into the round of 16 – a feat that would ignite celebrations across the nation.
Ayew’s comments suggest the squad has already put the Croatia setback behind them, with all attention now locked on Saturday’s high-stakes encounter.
Ghana face a formidable Colombia side, but Ayew’s message is clear: knockout football is a different beast entirely. One-off results in the group stage count for nothing when a place in the last eight is on the line.
The Black Stars will be banking on their captain’s experience and leadership to guide them through what promises to be a tense and