2026 World Cup: Antoine Semenyo calls on Black Stars to be more aggressive around referees amid officiating frustrations

Black Stars forward Antoine Semenyo has urged Ghana’s players to show greater assertiveness in their dealings with match officials at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, following a series of contentious refereeing decisions.

Ghana have made a strong start to their campaign, collecting four points from two matches after a 1-0 win over Panama and a disciplined goalless draw with England. Despite the positive results, both fixtures have been clouded by controversy over penalty appeals that went against the West African side.

The most recent flashpoint came against England, when forward Prince Adu Kwabena went down inside the box after appearing to beat his marker. Ghana’s players immediately appealed for a penalty, but the referee waved play on and VAR did not intervene to review the incident.

Ahead of Saturday’s decisive Group L clash with Croatia in Philadelphia, Semenyo suggested the team must adapt to the realities of officiating at this level.

"I think as a team we need to be more aggressive around the officials, whether staying down longer as a player. I think that's what we need to do," Semenyo said.

"It is quite frustrating that they haven't checked in twice now," the 26-year-old added.

Ghana head into the final group match knowing that a positive result will secure progression to the knockout stage and keep their World Cup ambitions firmly on track.