Former Ghana international Kevin-Prince Boateng has said a lack of team spirit was a key factor behind the Black Stars’ elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Ghana’s campaign ended on Saturday following a 1-0 defeat to Colombia in the Round of 32 at Kansas City Stadium, a result that sent the South Americans into the last 16 where they will face Switzerland.
Jhon Arias scored the only goal of the game in the 14th minute, a strike that proved decisive in a tightly contested knockout encounter.
While Ghana had progressed from Group L to reach the knockout stage for the first time since 2010, their tournament came to an end at the first hurdle of the knockout rounds.
Reacting to the defeat, Boateng told SBS Sport that the underlying issue for Ghana was not a lack of talent within the squad but rather insufficient cohesion and unity among the players.
He suggested that the timing of head coach Carlos Queiroz’s appointment contributed to difficulties in building the necessary collective understanding ahead of a major tournament.
“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,” he said.
Boateng stressed that team spirit had been a defining feature of successful Ghana squads in the past, pointing specifically to the 2010 World Cup team that reached the quarter-finals in South Africa and came close to making history as the first African nation to reach the semi-finals.
He contrasted that experience with the 2014 World Cup campaign, where Ghana exited early, attributing the difference in outcomes to the strength of unity within the squad.
“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,” he added.
The former AC Milan and Schalke midfielder also broadened his point to highlight what he sees as a growing trend in international football, where team cohesion can outweigh individual quality.
He referenced emerging and established nations alike, suggesting that unity has become a defining factor in tournament success.
“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,” Boateng said.
Ghana’s exit came despite a promising group-stage campaign that saw them advance to the last 16 for the first time in 16 years, raising hopes of a deeper run.
However, the defeat to Colombia ended those ambitions, leaving the Black Stars to reflect on a tournament that showed both progress and shortcomings.
Boateng’s comments add to the post-mortem surrounding Ghana’s performance, with attention now turning to how the team can rebuild cohesion ahead of future international competitions.
