By OkayGoal 
Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo has credited head coach Carlos Queiroz with transforming the Black Stars ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash against Colombia.
Queiroz, who took charge of Ghana in April following the dismissal of Otto Addo in March, has overseen a remarkable turnaround, guiding the four-time African champions to the World Cup knockout stages for the first time since 2010.
Speaking to reporters before Saturday’s encounter, Semenyo said the squad never paid attention to outside criticism and remained confident in their ability to compete on the biggest stage.
“A lot of pundits wrote us off,” Semenyo said, “but it’s just opinion at the end of the day. We know what we can do as a team.”
The Manchester City attacker believes Queiroz’s arrival has instilled a clear tactical identity, making Ghana a more disciplined and resilient side capable of challenging Colombia for a place in the last 16.
“The manager came in and brought his philosophy. It worked perfectly,” Semenyo explained.”We’re a lot more defensively solid and create chances. Before, I’d like to think we scored goals but conceded a lot as well. Now everyone’s focused, we’re hard to break down, which is great,” he added.
Ghana will be aiming to continue their impressive World Cup campaign when they face Colombia, with kick-off scheduled for 01:30 GMT.