The Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has stated that Marvin Senaya’s injury was a major setback for the Black Stars, disrupting the team’s performance during their 1-0 loss to Colombia in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Early in the game, the defender had to be substituted due to injury.

His replacement, Alidu Seidu, who had barely played games prior to the tournament, struggled to live up to expectations, allowing the Colombian players to exploit spaces on his side of the pitch.

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Speaking on the team’s performance at the World Cup, Adams explained that Senaya’s injury dealt a major blow to Ghana’s chances of securing a result.

“I expected us to go further than we did. But our loss against Colombia was unfortunate. Before the game, I had high hopes that we were going to achieve something great. Unfortunately, we suffered a setback very early. Our key defender, Senaya, who was a discovery of the tournament, got injured.

"That created a weakness on that side, and you could see that was where the goal came from. At the time, he was down and out, and the subsequent changes still didn’t help us,” he told JoyNews in an interview on July 14, 2026.

The Member of Parliament for Buem Constituency also addressed criticisms about the team’s lack of attacking threat and defensive approach, insisting that the players did their best.

“People thought maybe the coach should have improved the attack instead of continuing to protect the defence. For them, at the knockout stage, whether you lose by one goal or more, it’s still a loss, so why not take the risk and push forward? Well, they may be right, but they may also be wrong. You don’t just do that and create a leaky defence that could result in an even heavier defeat,” he added.

Watch the video below:

Exclusive: The Black Stars did quite well; they exceeded my expectations - Kofi Adams, Sports Minister and MP for Buem Constituency.

Watch more here: https://t.co/t0YeljXEF3#JoyNews | #PMExpress pic.twitter.com/dl7LMTLQRn

— Joy 99.7 FM (@Joy997FM) July 14, 2026