2026 World Cup: Ghana Suffer Injury Blow Ahead of Colombia Clash

Ghana have suffered a major injury setback ahead of their Round of 32 clash against Colombia at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with defender Kojo Oppong Peprah ruled out of the crucial encounter.

The Black Stars will face Colombia on Saturday without the 22-year-old after he sustained an injury during a training session.

Medical examinations and scans confirmed that Peprah will not recover in time to feature in the knockout fixture, dealing a blow to Ghana’s defensive options.

Although Peprah has not been a regular starter during the tournament, he has made important contributions whenever called upon.

The young defender first caught the attention of supporters after making a brief appearance in Ghana’s match against England.

Despite spending only three minutes on the pitch, Peprah produced a dramatic goal-line clearance with his head in the closing stages, preserving his team’s advantage and earning widespread praise.

He was given a bigger role in Ghana’s final group-stage fixture against Croatia, where he played the entire second half and delivered another composed defensive performance.

His absence means Ghana’s coaching staff will now have to reshuffle their defence ahead of what promises to be one of the toughest tests of their World Cup campaign.

The Black Stars are expected to consider alternative defensive options as they prepare to face a Colombian side aiming to secure a place in the Round of 16.

Ghana reached the knockout stage after an impressive group campaign and will be hoping to continue their progress despite the latest injury concern.

The technical team has yet to announce who will replace Peprah in the starting lineup, but preparations for the Colombia encounter continue.

The Black Stars remain optimistic of advancing to the next stage of the tournament, although Peprah’s absence removes one of their promising young defensive options.

Victory over Colombia would see Ghana progress to the Round of 16 as they continue their quest for a memorable World Cup run in the United States, Canada and Mexico.