Black Stars captain Jordan Ayew says Ghana is ready to deliver when it matters most, as the team prepares for Friday’s FIFA World Cup Round of 32 showdown with Colombia at Kansas City Stadium.
Speaking at Thursday’s official pre-match press conference, Ayew made the team’s intentions clear ahead of the knockout clash.
“We know tomorrow is going to be a big game. We are ready,” Ayew said. “We’ve been growing in the tournament. Listen, tomorrow we just want to put in a show and make sure we win. And that’s the most important thing for us, is to win.” he said.
Ghana heads into the Colombia tie after finishing Group L with one win, one draw, and one loss against Panama, England, and Croatia. Ayew was quick to dismiss the 1-0 defeat to Croatia as a factor going into Friday.
“Personally, I think the Croatia game was a one-off. Let’s take it like that,” he said. “Colombia’s knockout is going to be a knockout game, so it’s going to be totally different. We have to be ready for that challenge.”
The former Crystal Palace striker acknowledged the quality of Néstor Lorenzo’s side but backed Carlos Queiroz’s tactical preparation to make the difference.
“It’s a top team and it’s going to be a difficult game, but I’m confident that with what the manager has told us tactically, we’ll be ready for the challenge tomorrow. So, there’s no problem about that.”
Ghana faces Colombia on Friday, July 3, 2026, at 8:30 p.m. ET at Kansas City Stadium. The winner advances to the Round of 16 to play the winner of Switzerland vs Algeria. For the Black Stars, victory would secure Ghana’s first appearance in the World Cup last 16 since South Africa 2010.