Colombia beats Ghana 1-0: Luis Suarez shines as Jordan Ayew endures tough exit

Colombia comfortably won 1-0 over Ghana in the final match of the 2026 World Cup of 32 at the Kansas City Stadium on Saturday.

Jhon Arias scored the only goal of the game as La Tricolor entered the round of 16 for the first time since 2018.

Ghana remains winless against a South American team at the World Cup, and lacked the real quality to hurt Colombia.

Here, Sports mole provides player ratings from the World Cup clash of 32 matches.

Colombia vs. Ghana: Luis Suarez shines

He has a goalkeeper

Camilo Vargas – 7/10

As Ghana failed to register a goal, Vargas had a quiet afternoon and was limited to organizing the defense and distributing the ball back.

PROTECTION

Daniel Munoz – 8/10

Davinson Sanchez – 7/10

John Lucumi – 7/10

Johan Mojica – 7/10

Colombia have now kept clean sheets in each of their last three games at the 2026 World Cup, underscoring how disciplined and organized they have been in defence.

Sanchez and Mojica both came close to getting on the scoresheet with headers midway through the second half, but the Ghana goalkeeper was equal to both efforts.

Munoz deserves special praise for an excellent all-around show. The Crystal Palace defender made three tackles, two interceptions and provided a superb cross for Mojica, who came close to doubling Colombia’s lead.

THE MIDFIELD

Gustavo Puerta – 8/10

Jefferson Lerma – 7/10

John Arias – 8/10

Arias scored the only goal of the game with a superb first-time finish, but Puerta deserves much of the credit for his display of command in midfield.

The 22-year-old covered every corner of the grass, dropping to support the defence, shielding the back four and driving Colombia forward with clever passes. He also created chances for both Luis Diaz and Luis Suarez in outstanding all-round performances.

ATTACK

Luis Diaz – 7/10

James Rodriguez – 5/10

John Cordoba – NA

Diaz can be exciting one minute and frustrating the next, and this performance summed him up perfectly.

Full of confidence after a good campaign with Bayern Munich, the winner was a threat every time he ran in defense for Ghana.

He thought he had doubled Colombia’s goal from close range, but the goal was ruled out due to offside. Soon after, he was presented with another excellent opportunity but he shot straight at Lawrence Ati-Zigi.

SUBSTITUTES

Luis Suarez – 9/10

Juan Quintero – 6/10

Richard Rios – 7/10

Jaminton Campaz – NA

Suarez probably did not expect to be called into the game so soon, but he grabbed his opportunity with both hands.

After replacing the injured Jhon Cordoba in the first 10 minutes, the experienced forward made a quick impact, feeding Jhon Arias a wonderful pass to score the only goal of the game.

He He remained a constant threat throughoutcoordinates play intelligently and leads the line admirably in match-winning performances.

Ghana Ratings vs. Colombia: Zigi is outstanding

© Imago

He has a goalkeeper

Lawrence Ati Zigi – 9/10

The result could have been more difficult if it wasn’t for Ati-Zigi’s outstanding display.

The 29-year-old produced a Gordon Banks-esque save to deny Johan Mojica in the first half before making heroic stops after the break, including a fine save to deny Luis Diaz and Davinson Sanchez from close range.

PROTECTION

Marvin Senaya – NA

Derrick Luckassen – 6/10

Jerome Opoku – 6/10

Gideon Mensah – 6/10

There was little to separate Ghana’s defenders individually, but the back line was off at key moments as they chased an equaliser.

Their game plan was to frustrate Colombia with a low block, but conceding the first goal forced them to abandon that approach sooner than they would have liked.

THE MIDFIELD

Thomas Partey – 7/10

Inaki Williams- 6/10

Caleb Yirenkyi – 5/10

Kwasi Sibo – 5/10

Antoine Semenyo – 7/10

Semenyo came to the tournament as a big star in Ghana following his big-money move to Manchester City.

The striker enjoyed a good 2025-26 campaign, but the World Cup ended in frustration as he failed to register a single shot on target.

Partey was in good control of the midfield and went close with a long-range effort that just went wide. However, Yirenkyi could have done better defensively, leaving Jhon Arias unmarked inside the box for the opening goal.

ATTACK

Jordan Ayew – 4/10

A disappointing performance from the experienced Ghanaian.

His movement was limited, he struggled to make an impact in the final third, and he failed to make a meaningful contribution before being subbed off in the 79th minute.

SUBSTITUTES

Alidu Seidu – 6/10

Elisha Owusu – 6/10

Prince Kwabena Adu – 5/10

Abdul Fatawu – 5/10

Ernest Nuamah – 5/10

Carlos Queiroz turned to his bench to find a way back into the game, but none of the contestants were able to change the momentum.

With this defeat, Ghana became the seventh of the nine African countries eliminated from the Round of 32, leaving only Morocco and Egypt who carry the hopes of the African continent in this competition.