Colombia vs Ghana: Los Cafeteros Have Not Conceded a Goal in Five Matches
by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Geoffrey Ejiga
The Final Round of 32 Tie
Colombia and Ghana have never met at a World Cup, and Friday night's match in Kansas City closes out the entire Round of 32 bracket. And the stakes could not be higher for either side.
Colombia are chasing their best World Cup finish since the 2014 quarter-finals in Brazil. Ghana are through to the knockout rounds for the first time in the modern era and are determined not to let the achievement end here.
Kansas City Stadium, better known as Arrowhead, holds the Guinness World Record for loudest outdoor sports venue, a mark set during an NFL game in 2014.
The stadium has already hosted four group matches at this tournament, including Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria and a six-goal thriller between Algeria and Austria.
Whatever happens on the pitch tonight, neither team will be able to hear themselves think. If you’re betting on this game, ensure to read our Colombia vs Ghana prediction.
Colombia: Five Matches Without Conceding
Nestor Lorenzo's side has been one of the darker horses of the tournament. Colombia beat Uzbekistan 3-1, edged past DR Congo 1-0, then held star-studded Portugal to a goalless draw in which they won the shot count 24-13, enough to finish top of Group K ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo's side.
Across their last five matches, including two pre-tournament friendlies, Colombia have scored six goals and conceded zero.
James Rodriguez, now 34 and playing in his fourth World Cup, remains the player who unlocks Colombia's attack. He has six goals and four assists in eleven World Cup appearances since his breakout tournament in 2014, and Lorenzo continues to build the side's rhythm around his vision.
Luis Suarez, who was rested for the Portugal match with a minor knock, is fit again and expected to lead the line alongside Rodriguez and Luis Diaz.
A Perfect Record With No Fresh Concerns
Lorenzo has no injury or suspension issues to manage heading into the knockout rounds, a rare luxury at this stage of a tournament. Daniel Munoz, Johan Mojica and Suarez are all expected to return to the starting eleven after being rotated against Portugal.
Ghana: A Campaign Defined by Resilience Off the Pitch
Carlos Queiroz took charge of Ghana just two months before the tournament, and his side arrived in the United States without one of their most important players.
Mohammed Kudus of Tottenham was ruled out through injury before a ball was kicked. But the disruption did not end there.
Villarreal midfielder Thomas Partey, formerly of Arsenal, was denied entry into the United States ahead of Ghana's opening match against Panama for charges he faces in the United Kingdom.
Partey missed that win over Panama as a result, though he has since returned to the squad for Ghana's remaining matches.
On the pitch, the story has been considerably brighter, despite top betting sites pitting them as underdogs for much of the tournament. Ghana beat Panama 1-0, held England to a goalless draw despite a strong shout for a penalty that was never given, and were unlucky not to have taken maximum points from their first two matches.
A 2-1 defeat to Croatia in their final group game ended their unbeaten run, but a third-placed finish was enough to send them through as one of the tournament's best third-placed teams.
Antoine Semenyo picked up a knock in the loss to Croatia but is expected to be fit enough to start, bolstering the frontline.
And at the back, Ghana's defensive record through two clean sheets in their opening two matches shows a team capable of frustrating stronger opposition. Even if their underlying form heading into tonight, one win in nine matches across all competitions, offers little comfort against a Colombia side playing with genuine confidence.
