Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has identified the early injury to defender Marvin Senaya as a major factor in Ghana’s 1-0 defeat to Colombia, a result that ended the country’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign.

Ghana’s hopes of progressing to the Round of 16 were dashed on Friday night when an early strike from Colombian midfielder Jhon Arias proved enough to send the South Americans through to the next stage.

Speaking after the match, Queiroz said the Black Stars lost their defensive structure and organisation following Senaya’s forced withdrawal through injury in the opening stages of the game.

“The moment Senaya came off, the team did not have the same discipline and organisation. It took Alidu Seidu a few minutes to adjust, and they took advantage of that moment to score,” the Ghana coach stated.

Senaya was forced off after sustaining an injury early in the first half, with Alidu Seidu coming on as his replacement. Moments later, Colombia capitalised on the defensive reshuffle when Arias finished off a move to score the only goal of the encounter.

The Portuguese tactician suggested that the disruption created by the unexpected substitution affected Ghana’s defensive balance at a crucial stage of the contest, allowing Colombia to seize control of the match.

Despite Ghana’s efforts to recover, the Black Stars struggled to break down a disciplined Colombian side that controlled large portions of the game and limited clear scoring opportunities. Colombia’s victory secured a place in the Round of 16, while Ghana bowed out after reaching the knockout phase as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.

Queiroz’s side had entered the match hoping to extend Ghana’s impressive run at the tournament, but the early setback ultimately proved decisive as the four-time African champions were unable to find an equaliser.

The defeat brings Ghana’s World Cup journey to an end, with attention now expected to shift to preparations for upcoming international assignments and the next phase of the team’s rebuilding process.