World Cup 2026: Ghana's South American curse continues with Colombia defeat

Ghana's 1-0 defeat to Colombia in the Round of 32 on Friday extended a frustrating record for the Black Stars: they have never beaten a South American opponent at the World Cup.

The loss means Ghana remain winless in four meetings against CONMEBOL nations on football's biggest stage.

In four meetings against CONMEBOL nations on football's biggest stage, Ghana have suffered three defeats and one draw.

The first came during Ghana's debut in 2006 when Brazil swept past the Black Stars 3-0 in the Round of 16.

Four years later came the most painful chapter – a 1-1 draw with Uruguay in the quarter-finals that ended in penalty shootout heartbreak after Luis Suárez's infamous handball on the line and Asamoah Gyan's missed spot-kick.

In 2022, Ghana had a chance for revenge but fell 2-0 to Uruguay in a must-win group match that sent them crashing out of the tournament.

Now, in 2026, Colombia have added another chapter to the story, with Jhon Arias's first-half strike condemning Ghana to a 1-0 defeat in the Round of 32 – a match where the Black Stars failed to register a single shot on target.

For Carlos Queiroz's side, it was another chapter of what-might-have-been against opponents from the continent that continues to haunt them.

Send your news stories to [email protected] and via WhatsApp on +233 546310076.

Read Full Story