Black Stars forward Brandon Thomas-Asante has dismissed claims that Ghana approached their final Group L match against Croatia with anything less than a winning mentality in an attempt to avoid certain opponents in the knockout stages.
Ghana concluded their group campaign with a 2-1 defeat to the 2018 World Cup finalists at the Philadelphia Stadium on Saturday, despite having already secured qualification for the Round of 32 before kick-off.
Speaking after the defeat, Thomas-Asante stressed that the Black Stars were fully committed to extending their unbeaten run and finishing top of the group.
“I think part of it is to do with the fact that it speaks to the ambition in the squad – we wanted to win today,” he said.
The striker firmly rejected suggestions that the team had been satisfied simply with preserving their place in the tournament, insisting that the squad’s mentality has always been to chase victory in every game.
“There’s sometimes talk of, I know, the previous game of wanting a draw or something, but that’s never the case,” he stated.
Ghana went into the Croatia clash with qualification already secured after amassing four points from their opening two matches, including a dramatic late win over Panama and a hard-fought draw against England.
Although progression had already been guaranteed under the expanded 48-team World Cup format, the four-time African champions were eager to secure top spot in Group L and head into the knockout rounds with momentum.
Thomas-Asante noted that the players responded positively after conceding, pushing forward in search of a way back into the game.
“When we conceded, we went after the game and we got the breakthrough. Of course, we wanted to hold out and to push again, but that wasn’t to be today,” he said.
Attention now turns to the Round of 32, where Ghana will face Colombia on Saturday as they continue their quest for World Cup glory.
