Ghana Deliver Defensive Masterclass to Hold England to a Goalless Draw
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Black Stars’ Resilience Key To Earning A Point Against the Three Lions
Gillette Stadium in Boston delivered the latest surprise in the 2026 World Cup, as Ghana held heavily fancied England to a 0-0 draw last night, setting us up to see the race for knockout qualification in Group L go down to the final day.
England were at their fluent best in their opening match of the competition when they slotted four goals past Croatia and confirmed our 2026 World Cup predictions, but they were unable to repeat that performance against the Black Stars, who produced a defensive masterclass to earn a share of the spoils.
The Three Lions took 57 minutes to muster their first shot on target and were once again far from solid in defence, where they were caught on the counter a handful of times and were somewhat fortunate not to have been reduced to 10 men after a questionable tackle by Ezri Konsa.
The stats show that Thomas Tuchel’s side dominated proceedings, as England outshot Ghana 19-2, recorded 14 efforts from inside the box and tested the goalkeeper on four occasions across the 90. They also struck the woodwork once, and their xG tally of 1.28 dwarfed Ghana’s 0.29.
Yet, despite their statistical dominance, England could not find the breakthrough, as the Black Stars’ backline and keeper made 37 clearances, 21 tackles, and eight interceptions, while Kojo Peprah Oppong produced a massive goalline clearance to keep his side in the contest.
After Croatia edged Panama to a 1-0 victory later in the day, Group L remains wide-open with any of the top three teams still in with a chance of qualifying to the knockout stage. Panama will face England and Croatia will take on Ghana in the simultaneous kickoff on Saturday, June 27.
Group L Standings Ahead of Final Match
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 2 | Ghana | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Croatia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 3 |
| 4 | Panama (E) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0 |
Harry Kane Misses Golden Opportunity To Secure Three Points
Harry Kane could have become England’s all-time leading goal scorer in World Cups last night after levelling Gary Lineker’s record of 10 goals on football’s grandest stage with his brace against Croatia in the team’s opening match of the competition.
However, the Three Lions’ skipper was marshalled expertly by the Black Stars. Only two players had fewer touches than Kane at the 35-minute mark, and by the final whistle, he had only mustered three shots at goal, while missing the team’s biggest chance of the match.
Some questioned whether the Bayern Munich striker should have been withdrawn in the second half when Tuchel used all five substitutions to try and break the deadlock. However, the German affirmed that was a thought that never crossed his mind. Speaking to the media after the game, Tuchel said:
"It fell to him, and he’s normally the player you want it to fall to. 99 out of 100 he will convert this chance. To change Harry Kane in a game that is stuck and 0-0 and is not yet a knockout game or a game where you’re like 1-0 behind and you play all in, so we thought this would be the right choice. Taking Harry off, no I didn’t see that today."
Kane entered the World Cup as one of the market favourites to win the Golden Boot, but his odds have slipped dramatically after last night. Lionel Messi currently leads the way with five goals, while Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are on four apiece.
