Black Stars defender Gideon Mensah believes Ghana's performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup provides a strong foundation for the future despite the team's Round of 32 exit.
Ghana's campaign came to an end on Friday after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia in Kansas City, where Jhon Arias scored the decisive goal to send the South Americans into the next round.
Although disappointed by the result, Mensah said the players could leave the tournament with their heads held high after a spirited campaign that saw the Black Stars progress from the group stage.
"We are proud of our journey. It's unfortunate that the result turned out this way," Mensah said.
"We came into the game very confident of a win, but it just didn't work out. The players fought very hard. We wanted to give Ghana victory and reach the next round, but it didn't happen."
The defender acknowledged the disappointment inside the dressing room after the final whistle, describing the defeat as painful while urging the team to quickly refocus on the next challenge.
"It's hard to take, and we must take it on the chin and move on. What we can do now is go back home, reflect deeply and begin another journey in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers."
Despite the early knockout exit, Mensah believes Ghana has every reason to remain optimistic.
"Obviously, we are not happy about the loss. The mood in the dressing room is very down, but we have a lot of positives to pick from this campaign going into the future."
Ghana finished the World Cup with one win, one draw and two defeats, conceding just three goals throughout the tournament despite entering the competition without several key players because of injury.
The Black Stars will now shift their attention to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in September as they aim to build on the progress made during their World Cup campaign.
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