World Cup 2026: 4 Colombia Players Who Could Decide the Clash Against Ghana
- Ghana face Colombia in the Round of 32 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City in a high-stakes 2026 FIFA World Cup clash
- Colombia boast quality across every department, with players capable of altering the match in a single moment
- From Luis Diaz to Daniel Munoz, YEN.com.gh identifies four Los Cafeteros players the Black Stars must contain
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Ghana's 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign reaches its most demanding moment yet when the Black Stars face Colombia in the Round of 32 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
Néstor Lorenzo's side has been one of the tournament's most complete teams, combining tactical discipline with attacking quality that has posed problems for every opponent they have faced.
Source: Getty Images
Four Colombia stars who can hurt Ghana
The Black Stars will need to be at their best to advance. Here are four Colombia players who could prove decisive against Ghana.
4. Jefferson Lerma
The 31-year-old defensive midfielder may not contribute in the final third, but his influence on the Colombian structure is substantial. Lerma operates as the team's defensive anchor, limiting opposition transitions whenever his teammates push forward.
According to Fotmob, his numbers across 240 minutes at the tournament reflect that importance: 13 duels won, 12 recoveries, 8 clearances, and zero times dispossessed. He is likely to be assigned the task of subduing Ghana's chief attacking outlets in Jordan Ayew and Antoine Semenyo.
3. James Rodriguez
Colombia's creative heartbeat has evolved since his impressive 2014 World Cup campaign, where he announced himself to the world. The former Real Madrid midfielder now relies more on intelligence and positioning than energy, but his ability to shift a match with a long-range effort or a precise pass remains undiminished. Ghana's midfield of Kwasi Sibo, Thomas Partey, and Caleb Yirenkyi, which largely handled England's threats, must be equally alert to Rodriguez's unpredictable contributions.
2. Daniel Munoz
The Crystal Palace full-back has emerged as one of the breakout performers of the tournament. Munoz has scored two of Colombia's four goals, opening the scoring in a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan before grabbing the 76th-minute winner in a 1-0 victory over DR Congo. His overlapping and underlapping runs create constant problems down the right flank. Ghana's left side, anchored by Gideon Mensah, will need to track his movement diligently and prevent him from arriving late into the penalty area.
1. Luis Diaz
The Bayern Munich winger represents the most serious individual threat Ghana will face. Coming off a debut Bundesliga season in which he scored 15 goals and provided 14 assists, Diaz arrives at the tournament in exceptional form.
He has one goal and one assist so far, though VAR interventions denied him at least two further strikes, underlining how dangerous he is in and around the opposition box. Diaz regularly inverts from the left, using body feints to cut inside for shots or driving to the byline to deliver low cut-backs. Marvin Senaya, who has registered the most tackles at the tournament and successfully contained the likes of Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford, faces his sternest examination yet. The expectation is that Semenyo will also need to contribute significantly to containing Diaz's influence on the match.
Source: YEN.com.gh
