Croatia defeat a lesson, not a setback - Ayew

Jordan Ayew, the Black Stars captain, insisted that Ghana's defeat to Croatia in their final Group L match at the FIFA World Cup will not dampen the team's confidence as they prepare for the Round of 32 stage of the tournament. He dismissed suggestions that Ghana's already-secured qualification may have influenced the team's performance, stating, "It was a World Cup game, and when you play a World Cup game, you always want to win because you want to keep the winning streak and the positivity going. Obviously, this hasn't affected the mood or anything like that."

Ghana had already secured qualification to the Round of 32 before facing Croatia, having collected four points from the opening two matches. These matches included a 1-0 victory over Panama and a draw against England. The final group encounter presented an opportunity to maintain an unbeaten run and build further momentum, but the Black Stars were beaten by the Croatians. Ayew expressed confidence that the defeat would serve as an important learning experience rather than a psychological blow.