Published On 7/3/2026
Ghana’s Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz believes that it is “our duty” to ensure that another African team reaches the eighth final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after a series of early exits of the continent’s teams in the first qualifying round.
The veteran coach, who is participating in the World Cup for the fifth time in a row, led Ghana to the round of 32 as one of the best teams that finished in third place.
Read also
list of 2 itemsend of list
Ghana was among nine African teams that qualified from the group stage out of 10 that started the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
But only Morocco has succeeded so far in reaching the quarter-finals, while Senegal, Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been eliminated from the competition.
“It’s another challenge for us,” said Queiroz, whose team faces Colombia in Kansas City. “We have to improve these statistics tomorrow.”
He added: “We have to make it better. Therefore, it is our responsibility to ensure that another African team is added to the next round. This is our duty.”
The former Iranian national team coach, who previously supervised Colombia, praised the courage of his players, stressing that they “will fight until the end” in order to achieve a result.
“This is part of the DNA of these players in Ghana,” said the 73-year-old, who was appointed in April. “It is not something that can be built or bought.”
He continued: “It is something that runs in their blood, and they are truly amazing fighters, and I am very proud to be their coach.”
Ayew recalls 2010 achievement
Captain Jordan Ayew restored Ghana’s journey to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.
“That was amazing,” he said. “And of course these are the moments we want to bring back to our country.”
He added that Ghana is confident in its chances against Colombia, which is ranked higher, adding: “In football, every match starts with a 50-50 ratio. Tomorrow’s match will also be close.”
He concluded: “We will do our best, and we will put on a special show, and we will see what happens. But what I can guarantee is that we will definitely make Africa and Ghana proud of us.”
