2026 FIFA World Cup: Semenyo urges Ghana to be more 'streetwise' with referees

Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo has called on the Black Stars to adopt a more "streetwise" approach when dealing with match officials following the controversial penalty decision that overshadowed their goalless draw against England at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Manchester City attacker believes Ghana must become more assertive in their interactions with referees after their appeals for a late penalty were waved away during Tuesday's Group L encounter.

Ghana felt they were denied a clear penalty late in the match after England defender Ezri Konsa challenged Prince Kwabena Adu inside the penalty area.

Despite strong protests from the Ghanaian players and coaching staff, neither the referee nor the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened to award a spot-kick.

The decision left the Black Stars furious, with head coach Carlos Queiroz sarcastically suggesting after the game that the VAR officials had "gone for coffee" during the crucial incident.

Speaking ahead of Ghana's decisive Group L clash against Croatia, Semenyo admitted the squad had discussed how they should better handle such situations in future matches.

"We talked about it in training that as players we need to gang around the referee and complain, we should say something," Semenyo told reporters.

According to Semenyo, Ghana should not only rely on footballing ability but also learn how to manage the psychological side of major tournaments.

"As a team we need to be more aggressive with officials, stay down longer, with our coaches pestering the fourth official. That's what we need to do," he said.

The Black Stars will now turn their attention to Saturday's crucial encounter with Croatia, knowing that a positive result could secure qualification for the knockout stages.

After earning four points from their opening two matches, Ghana remain firmly in contention for a place in the Round of 32 and will hope to avoid further officiating controversies as they bid to continue their impressive World Cup campaign.