Colombia booked the final place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 after edging Ghana 1-0 at Arrowhead Stadium, extending their unbeaten run in competitive matches to nine games.
The only goal of the match came in the 14th minute when Luis Suárez, who had come on as a substitute, delivered a pinpoint cross from the right for Jhon Arias to calmly finish into the net.
Both teams were forced into early changes after Colombia’s Jhon Córdoba and Ghana’s Marvin Senaya suffered injuries within the opening 13 minutes.
Colombia controlled most of the contest, enjoying 62 percent possession and creating numerous scoring opportunities. They recorded 20 shots, with Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi producing seven important saves to keep the scoreline respectable.
Ghana struggled to threaten Colombia’s defence throughout the match, failing to register a single shot on target during the entire game.
The victory also preserved Colombia’s perfect World Cup record against African opponents, making it five consecutive wins over teams from the continent at the tournament.
With the result, Colombia advances to the Round of 16, where they will face Switzerland in Vancouver on Tuesday, July 7.
