2026 World Cup: He played when necessary - Carlos Queiroz on Thomas-Asante’s limited minutes after loss to Colombia

Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has defended his decision to limit Brandon Thomas-Asante’s involvement at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite the forward’s standout contribution against Panama.

The Coventry City striker provided the assist in Ghana’s opening group-stage win over Panama, a 1-0 victory in which he made a decisive impact off the bench and helped deliver one of the team’s only two goals in the tournament.

However, Thomas-Asante was restricted to 20 minutes in Ghana’s 2-1 defeat to Croatia and was not used in the Round of 32 loss to Colombia, which ended the Black Stars’ campaign.

Explaining the decision in a post-match interview with Sporty TV, Queiroz said the forward had been used when the tactical situation demanded it.

“He [Thomas-Asante] played when it was necessary to play," he said.

Queiroz added that he was disappointed with the elimination but insisted Colombia were superior on the day.

"I am disappointed with the result because the boys work hard, they tried their best, but the reality is that on the day, especially in the passing and controlling of the game, the Colombia team was better," he added.

Jhon Arias’ first-half strike proved decisive as Colombia secured a 1-0 victory to advance to the quarter-finals, while Ghana’s journey ended at the first knockout stage after finishing third in Group L.