Thomas-Asante Tells Black Stars to Forget Croatia Defeat and Lock In on Next Opponent

Black Stars forward Brandon Thomas-Asante has called on his teammates to quickly shake off the disappointment of their defeat to Croatia and shift their full concentration to Ghana's upcoming FIFA World Cup Round of 32 fixture. The Coventry City striker made the remarks following Ghana's final Group L match, stressing that progression remains the priority in tournament football.

Thomas-Asante acknowledged that the mood in the Ghana camp was noticeably flat after the final whistle, but reminded his colleagues that qualifying for the knockout stage — something the Black Stars had already secured before kick-off — was the primary goal coming into the competition. "The mood is quite down actually and it needed a few people to remind us that we're in a position that we're not usually in as a nation, as Black Stars," he said.

The striker revealed that despite knowing qualification had been secured from results elsewhere, the players still approached the Croatia game with genuine ambition. "I don't think that had an impact on our ambitions for the game. We still wanted to win and to seal it up. We also knew that there were records to break as a nation between ourselves," he explained.

Thomas-Asante also noted there was a degree of relief that the loss came after qualification had already been guaranteed, rather than in an earlier decisive match. "Luckily we're still through. So perhaps in that aspect we're happy that it was here and not the first game or second game," he added.

Ghana advanced from Group L on four points, following a hard-fought 1-0 win over Panama and a creditable draw against England. Although the defeat to Croatia denied them the chance to top the group, the four-time African champions remain very much alive in the expanded 48-team tournament.

With their Round of 32 opponents yet to be confirmed, Thomas-Asante urged the squad to embrace whatever challenge comes their way. "We just have to focus on whichever game we are handed and give our best to win. By the end, it could work in your favour — you never know," he said.