Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz has vowed to tighten his side’s defence and improve their attacking efficiency ahead of the Black Stars’ FIFA World Cup Round of 32 showdown with Colombia.

The Black Stars booked their place in the knockout stage despite suffering a 2-1 defeat to Croatia in their final Group L match on Saturday. The result highlighted defensive frailties that Queiroz believes must be corrected before the win-or-go-home encounter.

Croatia, runners-up at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, secured victory through goals from Petar Sučić and Nikola Vlašić, while Derrick Luckassen scored Ghana’s only goal of the match.

Despite the disappointing result, Queiroz remains optimistic about Ghana’s chances in the knockout rounds, insisting the tournament truly begins now.

“I have just told my players that the real world championship starts in the next round,” Queiroz said.

“The group stage is the warming-up, and qualification for the next round is like a credit card, but now you have to start paying.”