The Ghanaians certainly know how to make a memorable entrance.
“That’s something that we commented on,”
The players have arrived!
Transitioning from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to Carlos Quieroz’s Ghana represents a significant shift for Antoine Semenyo. Although he has yet to shine, his renowned long throw will be on display.
Croatia’s lineup includes: Livakovic, Stanisic, Sutalo, Pongracic, Perisic, Modric, Kovacic, Vlasic, Petar Sucic, Baturina, Budimir.
Substitutes: Pandur, Kotarski, Gvardiol, Caleta-Car, Moro, Kramaric, Mario Pasalic, Jakic, Fruk, Matanovic, Luka Sucic, Vuskovic, Marco Pasalic, Erlic, Musa.
Ghana fields: Asare, Senaya, Adjetey, Luckassen, Mensah, Partey, Owusu, Sibo, Sulemana, Ayew, Semenyo.
Substitutes: Ati-Zigi, Anang, Seidu, Yirenkyi, Mumin, Fatawu, Thomas-Asante, Baah, Baba, Opoku, Williams, Boakye, Oppong, Nuamah, Adu.
Referee: Drew Fischer (Canada)
For those interested in mainstream action, England will be facing Panama with Scott Murray providing coverage.
John Brewin will be reporting on Football Daily duty, which is a welcome presence.
Croatia likely requires at least a draw against Ghana to advance to the last 32, and forward Ivan Perisic expresses confidence in his team’s history against African rivals.
The 2018 runners-up and 2022 third-place finishers have secured three victories and a draw against African teams since 2014, including a third-place win over Morocco.
“And we played against many teams in the past 10 years, and all of the results were positive. So I believe that this is going to be the same this time as well, and that we will be playing a very good match, just like we did against the other teams.” Perisic remarked. “We need to raise the level of our play,”
As both England and Ghana enter the final matchday of Group L with four points, Croatia sits with three, while Panama has already been eliminated. The query remains whether this Croatia team mirrors the strength of the past decade. Following a 4-2 defeat to England, Croatia narrowly edged out Panama 1-0 thanks to Ante Budimir’s goal in the 54th minute.
At 37 years old, Perisic, along with 40-year-old captain Luka Modric, are seasoned players, and even manager Zlatko Dalic acknowledges that their recent performances seem somewhat uncharacteristic.
“We’re not what Croatia can be. So we haven’t shown the best we can, but tomorrow is the opportunity to do so. We never made so many mistakes in some of the passes or when we were in the possession of the ball. This is where we had the force and we were really strong, but we seem to be losing the ball easily. We need to be quicker and we need to raise the level of concentration.“ Perisic also was unsure whether Ghana’s low-block approach, a staple of several Carlos Queiroz-managed World Cup sides, would continue. “They are a very good team,” he stated through an interpreter. “Very compact. Perhaps they played the lower block in the past two matches. Given that, maybe they might be changing for tomorrow or something, but we have to be ready for both options. “But yes, we’re focusing on ourselves and our game and what we need to do. And we need to be a lot better than we were in the past two matches.”
Perisic expressed uncertainty about whether Ghana will maintain a low-block strategy, which has characterized several World Cup teams managed by Carlos Queiroz. “They are a very good team,” he noted. “Very compact. Perhaps they played the lower block in the past two matches. Given that, maybe they might be changing for tomorrow or something, but we have to be ready for both options.”
“But yes, we’re focusing on ourselves and our game and what we need to do. And we need to be a lot better than we were in the past two matches.”
Luka Modric has not yet found his rhythm in this tournament. He may find more space and time against Ghana, provided they defend as deeply as anticipated.
Pre-match insights courtesy of our very own Adrian Chiles.
Wasn’t Adrian impressive alongside ITV News’ Dan Hewitt on the radio this week?
This match is pivotal; it’s a winner-takes-all scenario for second place, but Ghana has a one-point lead, with a draw sufficing for them. Carlos Queiroz is certainly the right man for the role, known for his defensive discipline and organizational skills.
Nonetheless, Croatia has the potential to be a formidable side when they apply themselves. Admittedly, they have yet to display much of that promise, having lost to England and narrowly defeating Panama, largely thanks to goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic’s performance. Modric made his 200th international appearance in that match but requires more support, as the 40-year-old cannot shoulder the entire load alone.
This match promises to be a captivating encounter.
Kick-off is scheduled for 10pm BST/5pm EDT/7am AEST.
- World Cup 2026
- World Cup
- Croatia
- Ghana football team
