Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has called for defensive improvements and greater sharpness in attack as Ghana prepare for their decisive FIFA World Cup Round of 32 meeting with Colombia on Saturday.
Ghana fell 2-1 to Croatia in their final Group L fixture, with Petar Sučić and Nikola Vlašić finding the net to cancel out Derrick Luckassen’s equaliser in a tightly contested encounter against the 2018 World Cup finalists.
Despite the setback, the result was enough to send the four-time African champions into the knockout stage, where Queiroz insists the tournament now truly begins.
The veteran coach stressed that the group phase should be seen as preparation, warning that the margin for error is now gone.
“I have just told my players that the real world championship starts in the next round,” Queiroz said.
“The group stage is the warming-up, and qualification for the next round is like a credit card, but now you have to start paying.
“Everything goes to the winner, every game is drama, nobody can hide. That starts next game,” the former Iran and Egypt head coach said.
Ghana, who finished third in Group L, will face Colombia at the Kansas City Stadium in a high-stakes Round of 32 showdown.
