Black Stars forward Brandon Thomas-Asante has dismissed claims that Ghana took their final Group L match against Croatia lightly in order to avoid facing certain opponents in the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup.
Ghana concluded their group campaign with a 2-1 defeat to the 2018 World Cup finalists on Saturday at the Philadelphia Stadium, ending their unbeaten run in the tournament.
Speaking after the match, Thomas-Asante insisted the Black Stars were fully focused on securing victory, despite having already booked their place in the Round of 32 before kick-off.
"I think part of it is to do with the fact that it speaks to the ambition in the squad – we wanted to win today," he said.
The striker rejected suggestions that the team had been satisfied simply to preserve their place in the knockout rounds, stressing that the mentality within the camp has always been to approach every game with the intention of winning.
"There's sometimes talk of, I know, the previous game of wanting a draw or something, but that's never the case," he stated.
The four-time African champions entered the clash against Croatia with qualification already assured after collecting four points from their opening two matches, including a dramatic late victory over Panama and a hard-fought draw against England.
Although progression to the knockout phase had already been secured under the expanded 48-team World Cup format, Ghana were eager to finish top of Group L and carry momentum into the next round.
Thomas-Asante said the team showed character after falling behind, pushing forward in search of an equaliser and refusing to settle despite the circumstances.
"When we conceded, we went after the game, and we got the breakthrough. Of course, we wanted to hold out and to push again, but that wasn't to be today," he said.
Attention now turns to the Round of 32, where Ghana will face Colombia on Saturday as they continue their quest for a first-ever World Cup title.
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