Ghana defender Gideon Mensah says the Black Stars are determined to bounce back from their disappointing 2026 FIFA World Cup exit by turning their attention to the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The four-time African champions saw their World Cup campaign come to an end following a 1-0 defeat to Colombia in the Round of 32, with Jhon Arias scoring the decisive goal in the 14th minute to send the South Americans through to the last 16.
Despite the disappointment, Mensah insisted the squad is already focused on making amends for their performances in North America.
“The plan is to take every game that comes at us as a chance for us to redeem ourselves,” the left-back said after the defeat.
“After this defeat, like I said, we have so many people that we have to make up to. First of all, ourselves, our family, our nation, our African brothers as well.”
Mensah revealed the players are eager to respond positively when Ghana begin their qualifying campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
“We go back to our homes, get ready for the qualifiers and make sure that we win every game that we can win,” he said.
“Even if we are not winning, we have to put on a show to show them that we are ready for whatever is supposed to come our way.”
The defender also expressed gratitude to Ghanaians for their unwavering support throughout the tournament, acknowledging the sacrifices supporters made to follow the team’s matches despite significant time differences.
“We are very grateful to Ghanaians. We are very happy that they have been with us throughout the journey,” Mensah said.
“We know the time difference is very, very bad. People are sacrificing their sleep, not because they don’t want to sleep, but because they love the team. We don’t take that for granted.
“We were hoping to make them happy and help them have good sleep. It didn’t go that way, but we are very happy that they have been with us throughout this journey.”
Although Ghana’s campaign ended earlier than they had hoped, the Black Stars reached the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time since 2010, marking a return to the latter stages of the global showpiece after a 16-year wait.
The team’s exit also signals the end of Carlos Queiroz’s brief spell in charge. The Portuguese coach, who was appointed on a short-term contract ahead of the tournament following Otto Addo’s departure in March, has resigned after Ghana’s elimination.
The Black Stars will now begin preparations for their AFCON qualifying campaign, with players hoping to restore confidence and rebuild momentum following their World Cup disappointment.
