BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Of the three African survivors whose fate will be decided this Friday, Cape Verde’s journey has been the most remarkable.

Making their World Cup debut, the tiny island nation has already become one of the tournament’s biggest stories, advancing beyond the group stage and capturing the imagination of neutrals worldwide.

Their reward is a daunting encounter with Argentina, led by the evergreen Lionel Messi and widely regarded as one of the favourites for the title.

Yet Cape Verde arrive with history on their minds.

No African nation has defeated Argentina at the World Cup since François Omam-Biyik scored the winner for Cameroon in a famous 1-0 victory during the opening match of Italia ’90.

Thirty-six years later, Cape Verde have an opportunity to produce a result that would rank among the greatest upsets in World Cup history.

Having already exceeded expectations, the Blue Sharks have nothing to lose and everything to gain against the South American giants.

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For the first time since their memorable run to the quarter-finals in 2010, Ghana are back in the knockout phase of the FIFA World Cup, where they will face group winners Colombia in a historic Round of 32 encounter at Kansas City Stadium.

The match will mark the first-ever meeting between the two nations, both in FIFA World Cup competition and in all senior international football.

Contrasting Routes to the Knockout Stage

Colombia arrive as winners of Group K after collecting seven points from three matches. La Tricolor opened their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan before edging DR Congo 1-0, with defender Daniel Muñoz scoring in both wins.

A goalless draw against Portugal in Miami secured top spot and ensured Colombia progressed from the group stage unbeaten for only the second time in their World Cup history. The only previous occasion was in 2014, when they reached the quarter-finals after winning their opening five matches.

Ghana’s path was more dramatic. The Black Stars finished third in Group L with four points, enough to qualify for the knockout rounds despite a 2-1 defeat to Croatia in their final group match. Earlier results—a 1-0 victory over Panama and a goalless draw against group winners England—proved sufficient to secure progression.

First-Ever Meeting

Despite both nations having rich football traditions, Colombia and Ghana have never previously faced each other.

Head-to-Head Record

• Matches Played: 0
• Colombia Wins: 0
• Ghana Wins: 0
• Draws: 0
• Goals Scored: 0-0

Colombia’s Impressive Record Against African Opposition

History favours Colombia when facing African teams at the World Cup.

La Tricolor have won their last four World Cup matches against CAF representatives, a sequence that stretches back to their 2-1 extra-time defeat to Cameroon in the Round of 16 at Italia ’90. That encounter remains Colombia’s only previous knockout match against African opposition.

The South Americans are now competing in the knockout phase for the fourth time and have reached the second round in three consecutive World Cups.

Their defensive solidity has also been notable, with four clean sheets in their last six World Cup matches.

The 0-0 draw with Portugal was significant for another reason—it was the first goalless draw involving Colombia in 25 World Cup matches and ended a run of 11 consecutive World Cup games in which they had found the net.

Ghana Seeking Another Historic Run

The Black Stars are appearing in the World Cup knockout rounds for the third time after previous advances in 2006 and 2010.

Their finest World Cup achievement remains the quarter-final run in South Africa in 2010, when they came within a penalty kick of becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-finals.

Ghana’s only knockout-stage victory remains their dramatic 2-1 extra-time win over the United States in the Round of 16 in 2010.

The Black Stars will also be aiming to break an unwanted record against South American opponents. They remain winless in three previous World Cup encounters against CONMEBOL nations:

• Brazil 3-0 Ghana (2006)
• Ghana 1-1 Uruguay (2010, lost on penalties)
• Uruguay 2-0 Ghana (2022)

Interestingly, only one of Ghana’s 18 World Cup matches has ended without a goal.

Milestone Watch

Several players could reach significant landmarks in Kansas City.

For Colombia, veteran playmaker Juan Quintero could make his tenth World Cup appearance, becoming only the fourth Colombian player to reach double figures in the tournament.

For Ghana, captain Jordan Ayew is poised to join an elite club. A tenth World Cup appearance would see him become only the third Ghanaian player to reach the milestone, following brothers Asamoah Gyan (11 appearances) and André Ayew (10 appearances).

Queiroz Faces Former Employers

Adding another layer of intrigue is the presence of Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz, who managed Colombia between February 2019 and December 2020.

Queiroz guided Colombia at the 2019 Copa América and will come up against several players he previously coached, including David Ospina, James Rodríguez, Luis Díaz, Yerry Mina, Davinson Sánchez, Jefferson Lerma and several others who remain part of Colombia’s World Cup squad.

By The Numbers

• First-ever meeting between Colombia and Ghana.
• Colombia are unbeaten in Group K and have reached the knockout stage for the fourth time.
• Ghana are in the knockout phase for the first time since 2010.
• Colombia have won their last four World Cup matches against African opponents.
• Ghana have never beaten a South American team at the World Cup.
• Colombia have kept four clean sheets in their last six World Cup matches.
• Jordan Ayew could make his 10th World Cup appearance.
• Juan Quintero could make his 10th World Cup appearance.
• Carlos Queiroz faces the nation he coached from 2019 to 2020.

The clash promises to be one of the most intriguing ties of the Round of 32, pitting Colombia’s defensive discipline and unbeaten momentum against a Ghana side seeking to recreate the magic of its historic 2010 campaign.

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Spain’s impressive march at the FIFA World Cup 2026 continued on Thursday as their commanding 3-0 victory over Austria in the Round of 32 stretched an extraordinary unbeaten run in regular time to 34 matches.

The victory means La Roja have now gone 34 consecutive matches without suffering a defeat in normal time, recording 25 wins and nine draws since their last setback — a 1-0 loss to Colombia in an international friendly played in London on March 22, 2024.

The remarkable sequence underlines Spain’s status as one of the tournament favourites and highlights the consistency that has made them one of the most difficult teams to beat in world football over the past two years.

Their latest success against Austria secured a place in the Round of 16, where they will face fellow European giants Portugal in what promises to be one of the standout knockout ties of the tournament.

Spain’s Unbeaten Run at a Glance

• Matches: 34
• Wins: 25
• Draws: 9
• Defeats: 0
• Last defeat: 0-1 vs Colombia (friendly)
• Date of last defeat: March 22, 2024
• Venue of last defeat: London, England

Spain’s victory over Austria further strengthened their credentials as genuine contenders for a second World Cup title, with their blend of possession football, defensive solidity and attacking efficiency continuing to deliver results on the biggest stage.

With confidence soaring and their unbeaten streak intact, La Roja now turn their attention to the highly anticipated showdown with Portugal as they seek to keep their World Cup dream alive.

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