Colombian fans carrying Ghana’s ‘Powder Man’
Colombia knocked out toothless Black Stars out of the World in their Round of 32 fixture at the Kansas Stadium on Saturday.
Many Ghanaians sacrificed their sleep to watch the stars take on Colombia in a game played at 1:30am local time.
But hope immediately turned into anguish and disappointment as the senior national team put up what was their worst game of the tournament.
Colombia took an early lead in the game, with Jhon Arias scoring in the 14th minute. That was enough to see the South American side set up a Round of 16 tie against Switzerland in Vancouver on Tuesday.
The Black Stars failed to register a single shot on target in the entire match, registering an expected goal (xG) margin of 0.27.
The team did not create any big chances over the course of the 90 minutes, raising further questions about the teams attacking play.
Goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi was the standout player, making seven saves, four of which were big saves to ensure Ghana did not suffer a heavy defeat.
The Black Stars suffered an early injury when Marvin Senaya was forced off with a groin injury in the 13th minute. He was replaced by Alidu Seidu.
Colombia were earlier forced to make a substitution of their own after Jhon Cordoba pulled up with what appeared to be a groin injury and was replaced by Luis Suarez in the 8th minute.
The results notwithstanding, the fans made sure they enjoyed themselves in the stands, watching the stars for the last time in the competition.
A highlight of the match was when cameras at the stadium captured Colombian fans carrying Ghanaian fan ‘Powder Man,’ who captivated the tournament with his traditional regalia and often seen blowing white powder into the air and performing rituals from the stands.
The gesture further showed the power of football to unite people from all parts of the world.
As the Black Star exit the 2026 World Cup, questions remain about Carlos Queiroz’s position as manager and whether it is time for the likes of Jordan Ayew to step away from the team.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak
