Ghana captain Jordan Ayew has called on the Black Stars to learn from their mistakes as they get ready for the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The four-time African champions made it to the Round of 32, even though they finished their Group L matches with a 2-1 loss to Croatia.

This result put Ghana in third place in their group and set up their first competitive match against Colombia, which will take place on Saturday.

Ayew said the loss was disappointing but made it clear that the team’s confidence is still strong. He said they are already focused on their next challenge.

“It’s a World Cup game, and you want to win all your matches and keep the positivity. The result has not affected the mood, and we will learn from our mistakes,” Ayew told Flashscore.com.

The 34-year-old admitted that Ghana wasted chances with the ball against Croatia and made defensive mistakes that cost them.

“We stay positive. On to the next game. It was a weird game today. We were a bit sloppy with the ball, and they capitalized on our mistake. The most important thing is for us to focus on the next game because it’s either you stay or you go home,” he added.

The Black Stars will play Colombia in the Round of 32 on Saturday. The match is set to start at 01:30 GMT.

This will be the first time Ghana and Colombia meet in a competitive match. It is also the Black Stars’ first World Cup knockout game since their dramatic quarter-final run at the 2010 tournament in South Africa.