Ghana’s Black Stars secured a place in the World Cup round of 32 for the first time in 16 years, their progression confirmed despite a 2-1 defeat to Croatia in Philadelphia. Goals from Petar Sučić and Nikola Vlašić put the 2018 runners-up in control before Derrick Luckassen pulled one back, but the result left Ghana third in Group L with four points, behind England (seven) and Croatia (six). The third-place finish, however, proved sufficient to advance as one of the best third-placed sides, and it also ensured the team would remain in the United States for the knockout phase rather than travel to Canada.

From the squad’s training base at Bryant University in Rhode Island, head coach Carlos Queiroz told his players that “the real world championship starts now,” describing the group stage as a warm-up. Forward Brandon Thomas-Asante said opponents “fear” Ghana’s counter-attacking threat, even when the side is forced to defend, and stressed the squad’s hunger to “make a name for ourselves as a nation.” Queiroz confirmed that Antoine Semenyo, who took a late knock against Croatia, will be fit for the Colombia match. The team was scheduled to hold two sessions on Tuesday before a final morning workout on Wednesday, then fly to Kansas City later that day.

Off the pitch, Ghana’s Ministry of Sports and Recreation announced that the government’s ticket assistance programme, which distributed 2,922 free tickets across the three group-stage matches, had ended. Minister Kofi Adams denied that any MPs, ministers, or chief executives received state-sponsored trips, calling the allocation process transparent and free of political influence. He also apologised to Ghanaian supporters in the diaspora who had expected wider access to free tickets, saying the scheme’s scope had been misunderstood. The Ghana Football Association subsequently released two official supporter ticket categories for the round-of-32 fixture, priced at $1,100 and $1,265.

Colombia, Ghana’s opponents on Friday, topped Group K unbeaten with seven points after a goalless draw with Portugal. Forward Luis Díaz, who has contributed a goal and an assist, wrote on social media that the team had “fulfilled our first objective” and was now focused on recovery and preparation. The match in Kansas City carries an additional subplot: Queiroz briefly coached Colombia in 2019-2020 before his dismissal during World Cup qualifying. The winner will meet either Algeria or Switzerland in the last 16.