Former manager Queiroz standing between Colombia and the Round of 16

[p]The Portuguese managed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/colombia/G02s4PCS/"]Colombia[/a] from 2019 ‌to 2020 before leaving after heavy World Cup qualifying defeats ‌by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/uruguay/xMk44orG/"]Uruguay[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ecuador/8tbm8Tri/"]Ecuador[/a], and faces his former side ‌after guiding [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ghana/nNBjHale/"]Ghana[/a] into the knockout stage as one of the tournament's best third-placed teams.[/p][p]While Ghana had to wait to learn whether ‌four points from Group L would be ⁠enough to advance behind [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]‌England[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/croatia/K8aznggo/"]Croatia[/a], Colombia cruised through Group K unbeaten, finishing above [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/portugal/WvJrjFVN/"]​Portugal[/a] after a thrilling scoreless draw in their final group match.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lorenzo-nestor-gabriel/EHstnYWI/"]Nestor Lorenzo[/a]'s Colombia have quietly established ​themselves among the tournament's most convincing teams, combining defensive solidity with the sort of attacking football that helped them ⁠top a group many ​considered one of the toughest.[/p][p]Midfielder Richard [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/richard-rios/GY9OlUCK/"]Rios[/a] said Colombia would not abandon the proactive approach that had carried them into the knockout phase.[/p][embed guid="4e246872-58cd-4270-a7f8-a82642dc962d" url="https://x.com/GhanaBlackstars/status/2072395946856448446" social-type="twitter" /][p]"[b]We have to keep working step by ‌step because I feel we can go very far[/b]," Rios told reporters.[/p][p]"Every match is very difficult. Ghana may present a different physical challenge than Portugal. But if we approach every game the way we have been, showing everything we are capable of, it becomes much harder for our opponents.[/p][p]"[b]That's what we'll keep doing - imposing our game and going out to win."[/b][/p][p]Queiroz, appearing at ‌his sixth World Cup as a coach, is aiming ​to emulate the kind of joyful run Ghana had ‌in 2010 when they reached the quarter-finals in South Africa.[/p][p]"[b]It's important that everyone wakes up in the morning and feels that happiness,[/b]" captain Jordan Ayew said in an interview with Olympics.com. "[b]It's been lacking for some ⁠years now, and to bring ⁠that back is a ‌good feeling.[/b]"[/p]