World Cup 2026: Kojo Oppong Peprah Ruled Out of Ghana's Round of 32 Clash Against Colombia
- One of Ghana's key players sustained a knee injury during the 2-1 defeat to Croatia on June 27 and will miss the Colombia match
- The defender will be the only member of Carlos Queiroz's 26-man roster that will be unavailable for the win-or-go-home match
- Ghana face an uphill task against Colombia on July 4, having lost all three previous World Cup ties against South American sides
The Black Stars have suffered an injury setback ahead of their Round of 32 encounter at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with defender Kojo Oppong Peprah confirmed unavailable for the must-win match against Colombia.
Sports journalist Fentuo Tahiru Fentuo reported that the 22-year-old sustained a knee injury during the Black Stars' 2-1 group stage defeat to Croatia on June 27.
Source: Getty Images
Kojo Peprah to miss Ghana vs Colombia match
Peprah entered the fray in the second half as a replacement for Jonas Adjetey and performed admirably before his tournament came to an abrupt halt.
His involvement at this World Cup also included a brief but crucial two-minute appearance in Ghana's goalless draw with England, during which he produced a goal-line clearance to preserve the clean sheet.
Beyond Peprah, the rest of Ghana's 26-man squad are fit and available for selection.
That group includes goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi, who has not featured since appearing to pick up a groin problem against Panama but has since been declared ready.
Colombia vs Ghana match preview
The Black Stars face a stern challenge when they line up against Colombia at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on July 4.
Ghana's record against South American opposition at the World Cup makes for uncomfortable reading: a 3-0 thrashing by Brazil in 2006, a penalty shootout loss to Uruguay in 2010 following a 1-1 draw after extra time, and a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay again in 2022 mean they are yet to record a single victory against teams from that continent at the tournament.
Colombia, for their part, arrive in the knockout rounds in strong form. They have scored four goals and conceded just one throughout the group stage, compared to Ghana's two goals scored and two conceded.
Source: Getty Images
The South Americans are also unbeaten in their last four World Cup matches against African nations, with their sole defeat on that record dating back to a loss against Cameroon in 1990.
But ahead of the match, Coach Carlos Queiroz says Ghana is committed to securing victory when they face Néstor Lorenzo's men.
Speaking at the official pre-match press conference on July 2, Queiroz described the knockout tie as an important game for both teams and promised fans an entertaining contest between two fantastic teams with different styles. He said, as quoted by Ghanafa.org:
“With both teams committed to winning the game and creating entertainment, and for sure, both teams trying to bring the best results home.”
“I hope with the right inspiration and the right attitude, we’ll be able to be a better team on the pitch tomorrow.”
Source: YEN.com.gh
