Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo has called on his teammates to be aggressive around match officials at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, following a series of contentious penalty decisions against the Black Stars.
Ghana have made a strong start to the tournament, collecting four points from their opening two matches.
The four-time African champions began with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Panama before holding England to a disciplined goalless draw.
Despite the positive results, both matches have been clouded by controversy, with Ghana left frustrated over incidents they felt warranted penalty awards.
The most recent flashpoint came against England, when forward Prince Adu Kwabena went down inside the box after appearing to beat his marker.
Ghana’s appeals were waved away, with neither the referee nor the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervening to review the incident.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s decisive Group L clash with Croatia in Philadelphia, Semenyo suggested the team must adapt its approach in order to avoid being disadvantaged in similar situations.
“I think as a team we need to be more aggressive around the officials, whether staying down longer as a player. I think that’s what we need to do,” he said.
“It is quite frustrating that they haven’t checked in twice now.”
Ghana head into the fixture knowing that at least a draw will be enough to seal qualification to the knockout stage, marking a significant step in their World Cup campaign.
