Former Ghana international Kevin-Prince Boateng believes the Black Stars’ lack of team spirit was a key factor behind their exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Ghana’s campaign ended with a 1-0 defeat by Colombia in the Round of 32 at Kansas City Stadium on Saturday, with Jhon Arias scoring the only goal in the 14th minute to send the South Americans into the last 16, where they will face Switzerland.
Speaking to SBS Sport after the match, Boateng said the team’s inability to build unity under new head coach Carlos Queiroz had hindered their chances of making a deeper run in the tournament.
The former AC Milan and Schalke midfielder noted that Queiroz had only been appointed shortly before the World Cup, making it difficult to establish the cohesion needed for success.
“It’s missing the team spirit, and I said that before the tournament. If Ghana builds that team spirit, which is difficult, because the coach came in just a month before. But you need to build that team spirit.”Â
Boateng contrasted the current squad with Ghana’s run to the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where the Black Stars came within a penalty shootout of becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-finals.
“We had team spirit in 2010. In 2014, we didn’t have team spirit. That’s why we went home. It’s all about the spirit.”Â
The 38-year-old also pointed to the performances of emerging football nations, arguing that unity has become a defining factor at major international tournaments.
“If you see Cabo Verde, Curacao, all these small nations, they survive, and they threaten the big nations. Why? Because they have team spirit. Morocco, team spirit. That’s what it’s about, especially in a tournament in a short time.”Â
Ghana reached the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time since 2010 after progressing from Group L, but their campaign came to an end at the first knockout hurdle following the defeat by Colombia.
