Black Stars captain Jordan Ayew has called on Ghana to focus on the future after the team’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign ended with defeat to Colombia in the Round of 32.

The Black Stars bowed out of the tournament after reaching the knockout stage for the first time in 16 years, having progressed from Group L with a win over Panama, a draw against England and a defeat to Croatia.

Reflecting on the loss, Ayew admitted Ghana were punished by the quality of their opponents, stressing that top teams rarely forgive mistakes.

“At this level you play against the best teams, the moment you give them a slight opportunity they take it. We have to take it on the chin and focus on the future,” the skipper said.

The experienced forward also acknowledged Colombia’s superiority on the day while insisting the Black Stars are making steady progress under the current setup.

“We all want to win big matches. But sometimes you have to accept that the opposition is better. We are improving slowly, we managed to qualify from the group.”

Ayew believes Ghana must now shift their attention to the next challenges, adding: “Now we need to focus on the qualifiers and the next AFCON.”

Despite the disappointment of their World Cup exit, the captain remains optimistic that the lessons learned from the tournament will help the Black Stars build towards future success.