Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz
Doha, Qatar: Colombia will be looking to live up to expectations as favourites, but Ghana are determined to spoil their attempt when the two teams meet at the Kansas City Stadium for a place in the Round of 16.
The match kicks off at 4.30am Qatar time tomorrow.
The South Americans topped Group K, finishing above Portugal, while Ghana advanced as one of the better third-place teams behind England and Croatia in Group L. On paper, Colombia looks stronger, but they will have to prove their prowess on the pitch against a well-prepared Ghana outfit.
Nestor Lorenzo’s side made it out of the group stage, but only managed four goals across three matches. In their final group game against Portugal, they only managed to level without any goals, but the points placed them above Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.
Colombia’s best result in the FIFA World Cups came at the 2014 tournament, where they reached the quarter-finals. They may be aiming to go higher this time, but standing in their way are Ghana, coached by a man who knows Colombia better than most opponents - Carlos Queiroz.
Queiroz had a short stint in charge of the Colombians back in 2019-20, and now he’s trying to use that inside knowledge against them.
His Ghana tenure began right before the 2026 tournament kicked off, which means his experience with the African nation is limited.
“We are ready to fight for the result,” Queiroz said during a press conference ahead of the match.
“We know it won’t be easy because nothing comes easy in football. We have a team in front of us with the same ambitions and the same expectations as us,” the seasoned tactician who has coached 10 national teams, said.
Ghana’s only quarter-final appearance came back in 2010, and they failed to go beyond the group stage in their next two appearances, at 2014 Brazil, and Qatar 2022.
Ghana have scored only one goal this time, and Queiroz knows his forwards need to swing into action fast and noted his players are ready.
"After all these years, I strongly believe football is a game for the players. Once the match starts, I trust my players, and they are ready for the challenge.”
Regarding their preparations, Queiros said : “Yes, we played one match, but that wasn’t the only football we’ve had. We also learned valuable lessons from previous games,” he said. “Preparation is simple. One training session is better than none.
Two are better than one. Three are better than two. The same applies to matches. Two games are better than one, and three are better than two. We played one game, so we trained more. If we had played more matches, we would have trained less.”
With both sides carrying contrasting fortunes into the last-16 race, the crucial encounter promises to be a tight one, and Queiros said his played should make most out of this opportunity.
“If you only have one game, you have to make the most of that situation,” Queiroz said.
