Derrick Luckassen (Brian Brobbey's brother) Sees World Cup Dream Come True: 'This is a Beautiful Feeling'

Ghana suffered a 2-1 defeat to Croatia, but still advanced to the knockout stage as one of the eight best third-placed teams, setting up a clash with Colombia. The 30-year-old defender for Cypriot club Pafos FC spoke to the media after the match, briefly reflecting on his personal highlight. "This is a beautiful feeling, truly beautiful," he told Ghanaian journalists in English. "But I'm also a bit disappointed with the result, with the fact that we lost."

For Luckassen personally, scoring at a World Cup, especially on his debut, was a dream realized. The defender, wearing number 23, had been on the bench for the first two matches. Against Croatia, he started, a fact his brother Brobbey, who plays for the Dutch national team, had revealed just hours earlier. When asked about his dream coming true, Luckassen visibly smiled.

Luckassen quickly shifted his focus to analyzing the game. "In the first half, we had possession but didn't do anything with it. In the second half, we pushed forward more. I thought we were much better then." Although it didn't yield the desired result, Luckassen, and indeed all of Ghana, are pleased that the points accumulated were enough to progress to the last 32. "That's the most important thing. We hope to go even further now; that's what we're playing for."

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