Former Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan has criticised the Black Stars‘ performance following their elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, questioning both the team’s urgency and tactical approach after a 1-0 defeat by Colombia in the Round of 32.
Ghana’s tournament came to an end in Kansas City after Jhon Arias scored the only goal of the match, with the Black Stars unable to mount an effective response. Carlos Queiroz’s side failed to register a shot on target and struggled to create clear scoring opportunities throughout the contest.
Speaking to SuperSport after the final whistle, Ghana’s all-time leading scorer expressed disappointment with the manner in which the team reacted after conceding.
“The way Ghana played today, I don’t like when you are losing and do not show any urgency. It’s frustrating. Show the world you want to win,” the Black Stars’ all-time top scorer said.
Gyan also questioned the tactical direction taken by the coaching staff during the tournament, suggesting the team had moved away from a system that had previously delivered positive results.
“In my view, we should have kept playing the way we played against England. It worked for us. If we keep changing tactics during the tournament, there is a problem,” he added.
The defeat brought Ghana’s World Cup campaign to a close after the Black Stars had progressed from the group stage as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
Their route to the knockout phase included a victory over Panama, a draw against England and a narrow defeat to Croatia, a sequence of results that earned the team four points and secured a place in the Round of 32.
Despite reaching the knockout rounds, Ghana continued to struggle in attack against Colombia. Throughout the match, the Black Stars were unable to test the Colombian goalkeeper, with their inability to produce a shot on target highlighting the difficulties they faced in the final third.
Colombia capitalised on those shortcomings through Jhon Arias’ decisive goal, which proved enough to secure victory and send the South American side into the next stage of the competition.
For Ghana, the result marked a disappointing end to a campaign that had shown moments of promise but ultimately failed to gather sustained momentum.
The Black Stars completed the tournament with one victory, one draw and two defeats from their four matches. They scored only two goals during the competition while conceding three.
Although Ghana demonstrated defensive resilience at various stages of the World Cup, those efforts were undermined by a lack of attacking output, particularly in the knockout match against Colombia.
Gyan’s post-match assessment reflected wider concerns over the team’s display, with the former captain pointing to what he viewed as a lack of urgency after falling behind and questioning changes to the tactical system that he believed had previously served the side well.
The defeat means Carlos Queiroz’s men leave the tournament at the Round of 32 stage, ending Ghana’s hopes of a deeper run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a campaign that produced flashes of encouragement but ultimately concluded in disappointment.
