Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz has confirmed that 25 of his 26-man squad are available for selection ahead of Saturday’s World Cup Round of 16 clash against Colombia in Kansas City.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Thursday, Queiroz said only one player will miss the decisive encounter due to injury.
“With regard to injury, 25 players are ready to play against Colombia. The only player who did not recover on time for the game is Kojo Oppong Peprah,” the Ghana coach said.
The only absentee is OGC Nice defender Kojo Peprah Oppong, who has been ruled out after failing to recover from a knock picked up in training.
The 22-year-old featured during Ghana’s group-stage matches against England and Croatia, where he impressed with his pace, composure, and defensive awareness.
While his absence is a setback, Ghana still enter the knockout tie with a full-strength squad otherwise, giving Queiroz significant depth and flexibility in both his starting XI and bench options for what is expected to be a high-intensity contest.
The Black Stars are competing in the World Cup knockout stage for the first time since their historic run to the quarter-finals in 2010, when they came within touching distance of becoming the first African side to reach the semi-finals.
Ghana face Colombia at 01:30 GMT on Saturday, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
