Former Ghana defender Jonathan Mensah has backed the Black Stars ahead of their Round of 32 clash with Colombia, insisting the team should not fear any opponent at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Mensah, who represented Ghana at the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, believes the Black Stars have every reason to be confident after reaching the knockout stage for the first time in 16 years.
Ghana qualified after finishing third in Group L with four points, having defeated Panama, drawn with England and suffered a narrow defeat to Croatia in their final group match.
Reflecting on the campaign so far, the former Black Stars centre-back said the opening victory over Panama proved decisive in Ghana’s qualification.
“I was glad for the boys getting three points in the first game; very important, and that obviously helped us to qualify. I’m glad we did that. Now we recover, prepare and go again,” Mensah told TV3.
The 34-year-old also believes the defeat to Croatia should not be viewed negatively, noting that Ghana had already secured their place in the knockout stage before the match.
“It was a bizarre game against Croatia from my perspective. When you know you are already through to the knockout stage, the sense of urgency wasn’t there, a couple of changes were made, but I’m glad the team came out of the game healthy,” he added.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s showdown, Mensah urged the Black Stars to remain confident while focusing on their own strengths.
“We don’t fear anyone; we just need to prepare according to our strengths and do proper scouting of opponents.”
Ghana will face Colombia on Saturday, July 4, with a place in the Round of 16 at stake as Carlos Queiroz’s men look to continue their impressive World Cup campaign.
By: Iddrisu Abdul Rahim
