Black Stars Coach Carlos Queiroz says Ghana must be perfect for 90 minutes when they face Colombia in Friday's FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash in Kansas City, insisting the pressure of knockout football is a privilege, not a problem.
Speaking at Thursday's pre-match press conference at Kansas City Stadium, Queiroz called the game "all for the winner, nothing for the loser" and backed his players to rise to the moment.
"It's an important game for both teams. It will be great to see two fantastic teams on the pitch, different styles," Queiroz said. "But tomorrow is a game where there is no room for mistakes. There are no tomorrows. We have to do everything right for 90 minutes."
He added: "The pressure of a game like this is not a problem, it's a privilege. It's a privilege to be here, to play against great players from Colombia, great players from Ghana, on the stage of the best football in the world."
The Portuguese tactician, who has now managed at five consecutive World Cups and amassed 142 international wins, said the knockout stage demands more than talent. "It's not only about talent, but also about character, it's about attitude, courage, bravery during 90 minutes. In this game, there are no guys that are brave or others that are not brave. It's just guys that last more than 10 minutes than the others."
On facing Colombia, a side he briefly managed between 2019 and 2020, Queiroz acknowledged the quality of his former team . "Colombia is not perfect, it's a great team, but it's not perfect. We are a great team; we are not perfect. What we have to do is play in our style, in our positive strengths, against the weaker points of Colombia".
The coach also took a poignant moment to remember his former goalkeeping coach Des MacAleenan, who died in 2021 while serving with the Colombian national team during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Serving Colombia, our goalkeeper coach died serving Colombia with the damage of COVID after a very big depression. He was left alone in Bogotá for 21 days, locked in a room without support," Queiroz recalled. "This is what I have to remember today, so that tomorrow we can celebrate life together".
Regarding team news, Queiroz confirmed that 25 of his 26 players are fully available, with defender Kojo Oppong the only absentee through injury. Antoine Semenyo, who sustained an ankle knock against Croatia, has recovered and is expected to start. The coach refused to reveal his starting goalkeeper, keeping the decision between Lawrence Ati-Zigi and Benjamin Asare to himself.
On the significance of the match, Queiroz said: "The real World Cup starts now for us. These are the games that count and matter. I'm very confident, very sure that tomorrow the winning team will do everything to bring success and happiness to the fans in Ghana, which is the most important thing".
He also addressed the responsibility of representing Africa, with the Black Stars one of the continent's remaining contenders. "We have to improve these stats tomorrow. We have to make it better. It is on our shoulders to be sure that we add another African team to the next round. That's our duty".
