‘Our focus is to progress' - Brandon Thomas-Asante

Black Stars forward, Brandon Thomas-Asante, has disclosed that the atmosphere in Ghana's dressing room was one of disappointment following the team's 2-1 defeat to Croatia, despite having already secured qualification to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Speaking after the match played on June 27, 2026, Thomas-Asante said the Black Stars entered the encounter with the intention of maintaining their unbeaten run and setting new milestones rather than merely fulfilling a fixture.

"We knew from the previous night that we were already through, but I don't think that had any impact on our ambitions for the game. We still wanted to win, and we knew there were records to break as a nation, so we had that ambition," he said.

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The Coventry City striker admitted the result left players frustrated but noted that senior voices in the dressing room quickly reminded the team of the bigger objective.

"The mood is quite down, actually. We needed a few people to remind us that we're in a position we're not usually in as the Black Stars. In tournament football, even though we want to win every game, the focus is progressing to the next round," he stated.

Thomas-Asante stressed that Ghana's objective remains advancing as far as possible in the tournament, urging the team to shift its attention to the next challenge.

"We just have to focus on whichever game is at hand and give our best to win," he added.

Reflecting on Ghana's more attack-minded display against Croatia, the forward said the players were determined to entertain supporters and demonstrate the quality within the squad.

"We know there's so much talent in the squad and we want to impose that on our opposition. We wanted to make a statement to our fans back home that we want to usher in a new dawn of really going for it in tournaments and being the powerhouse that we know we are," he said.

He, however, defended the team's tactical approach in previous matches, insisting Ghana remains a dangerous attacking side even when operating on the counterattack.

"Even in games where we've looked more defensive, there's a lot of fear from other teams because of what we do on the counter. That's not something to be slept on," he stated.

Thomas-Asante also disclosed that the squad arrived at the World Cup with high expectations and a shared ambition to restore Ghana's status on the global stage.

"There was a lot of ambition coming into the tournament. When you look around the dressing room, you see talent, ability and hunger to make a name for ourselves as a nation and keep that legacy going," he disclosed.

On the lengthy VAR review that confirmed Ghana's goal, the striker said the players remained confident throughout the process.

"We believed we'd done everything right and that our player was onside. All you can do is wait for the decision," he said.

PAH/VPO

🎥 🇬🇭 “The mood is quite down in the dressing room, but it needed a few people to remind us that our focus is to win every game and progress to the next round.”

Black Stars player Thomas Brandon Asante reacts to Ghana’s 2-1 loss to Croatia.#CitiSports pic.twitter.com/x2Loa5QOq1

— Citi Sports (@CitiSportsGHA) June 28, 2026