World Cup 2026: Black Stars lacked cohesion – Sports Minister Kofi Adams

Ghana’s campaign in North America came to an end in the Round of 32 after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia, with Jhon Arias scoring the decisive goal.

The Black Stars made an encouraging start to their fifth World Cup appearance, defeating Panama 1-0 before holding England to a goalless draw. However, a 2-1 loss to Croatia in their final Group L fixture saw them advance to the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams, where their journey ended against Colombia.

Reflecting on the team’s performance in an interview with Joy News, Adams said Ghana’s shortcomings became evident against opponents who had spent years building settled squads with strong chemistry.

According to the Buem MP, the gap between Ghana and some of their rivals was not one of talent but of preparation, continuity and familiarity among players.

“Where you are coming against teams that possibly have had opportunity to prepare very well and to prepare with managements that have been with them for quite a longer time, a team that may have players that have played in the same club, maybe about four or five of them coming together and having played together for a very long time, any team that may have all its facets, whether it is defence, midfield or attack, being so solid and coordinated, they understood each other,” he said.

Adams noted that the Black Stars lacked the same level of coordination on the pitch.

“Sometimes, when one player picks the ball and is moving, you can see two or three other players moving into spaces where he can play the ball for them to take advantage. We didn’t seem to have that character,” he added.

Despite the disappointing exit, the Sports Minister insisted there were positives to take from Ghana’s campaign.

He pointed to the opening victory over Panama as a crucial result that gave the Black Stars momentum heading into their clash with England.

Adams also defended Ghana’s performance against the Three Lions, arguing that the team matched one of the tournament favourites and deserved more from the encounter.

“We came against England, and we showed a certain class and blocked all their movement. Whether it was hurricane or sugar cane or whatever it was, we blocked all their movement,” he said.

The Minister further claimed Ghana was unfortunate not to receive key decisions from the match officials.

“Clearly, it was a game that many thought Ghana was cheated. We had a clear penalty that was not given, and there was another situation where an English player should have been shown a red card, which was not done. So people felt we were cheated in that game.”

Following their World Cup campaign, the Black Stars will now turn their attention to qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Ghana have been drawn in Group C alongside Côte d’Ivoire, Somalia and The Gambia, with the qualifying series set to begin in September.

Source:Fiilasports/ghanasoccernet