Efficient to the end: Arias sends unbeaten Colombia past a toothless Ghana and into the last 16

Jhon Arias scored the only goal, guiding home a Luis Suárez cross, as Colombia beat Ghana 1-0 to complete the Round of 32 and reach the last 16. Dominant Colombia forced seven saves and generated 2.19 expected goals; Ghana made unwanted history by failing to register a single shot on target. Colombia face Switzerland next.

Colombia rounded off the Round of 32 the way they have gone about this whole tournament: quietly, efficiently and without conceding. A single first-half goal from Jhon Arias was enough to see off Ghana 1-0 in Kansas City, sending Néstor Lorenzo's unbeaten side into the Round of 16 and the Black Stars home.

The game turned on an early reshuffle. Colombia lost striker Jhon Córdoba to injury inside eight minutes, but his replacement made an instant impact. On fourteen minutes Luis Suárez, the Colombian namesake of the Uruguayan great, whipped in a perfect cross and Arias guided it home. It was all Colombia would need.

It was, in truth, a mismatch. Colombia dominated with sixty-two percent of the ball, twenty shots and an expected-goals count of 2.19, forcing Lawrence Ati-Zigi into seven saves and having a Luis Díaz goal ruled out for a tight offside. Late on, substitute Juan Fernando Quintero produced a cameo masterclass, creating five chances and completing all nineteen of his passes in barely twenty minutes.

For Ghana, it was a night of unwanted history. Carlos Queiroz's side failed to register a single shot on target across the entire match, Iñaki Williams and Thomas Partey starved of service and completely isolated. Legends back home did not hold back in their criticism. Having reached the knockouts as one of the best third-placed teams after running Croatia close, the Black Stars bow out with a whimper.

Colombia, who topped their group and held Portugal, now travel to Vancouver for a Round of 16 tie with Switzerland. Unbeaten and yet to concede in this knockout run, they are quietly becoming one of the tournament's dark horses.

For Kenya, Ghana's exit is another African pang, and a frustrating one given how little the Black Stars offered. West Africa's fallen giant had plenty of Kenyan support, and to go out without a shot on target stings. But the flag still flies: Morocco and Egypt carry the continent's hopes into the quarter-final race. Black Stars wametoka bila hata shuti moja kwa lango, inauma, lakini Morocco na Misri bado wako: the Black Stars went out without a single shot on target, which hurts, but Morocco and Egypt are still standing. And with that, the Round of 32 is complete. Our Africa verdict had hoped for more from Ghana, while our South America verdict is watching this Colombia closely.