England's Three Lions and Ghana's Black Stars have crossed paths before at the FIFA World Cup, but the tone and outcome could not have been more different.
This time, Carlos Queiroz guided his side to a disciplined draw that could prove crucial in the race for a place in the round of 32. England controlled long spells of possession Tuesday but were repeatedly denied in a rain-soaked 0-0 stalemate.
“Our plan was to block and frustrate them from the first minute,” Queiroz said. “We did it.”
Four years earlier in Qatar, Queiroz was in charge of Iran when they were beaten 6-2 by England. This time, England again created the bulk of the chances, outshooting Ghana 19-1, but could not find a breakthrough as late pressure went unrewarded.
“Frustrated a little bit with how they defended, how they set up,” England midfielder Jude Bellingham said. “They got exactly out of the game what they played for. We couldn’t quite break them down, even with all the corners, all the possession, all the shots from distance.”
Both teams won their opening matches at this year’s tournament, with Ghana beating Panama 1-0 and England defeating Croatia 4-2. Both still have work to do in Group L before securing a spot in the knockout round at the first 48-team World Cup.
England reached the quarterfinals at the 2022 tournament, where it lost to France. Ghana has not reached the knockout stage since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
With the expanded field, the best eight third-place teams will also advance, giving both sides a strong chance heading into their final group matches.
England will next play Panama on Saturday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Ghana will face Panama at the same time in Philadelphia.
The Three Lions had a chance to take the lead in the 86th minute when Nico O’Reilly’s header struck the crossbar. Harry Kane collected the rebound but could not get enough on his left-footed effort, sending it over.
Ghana’s best chance came in the 78th minute when Abdul Fatawu outmuscled England midfielder Eberechi Eze and broke down the sideline. He squared the ball to Prince Adu, who was challenged from behind by Ezri Konsa before he could shoot. Adu appealed for a penalty, but it was not given.
“It was a clear penalty, if not a red card,” Queiroz said. “We have no doubts about that.”
England coach Thomas Tuchel said he was surprised by Ghana’s setup, as they defended in a 4-5-1 formation. He also described Ghana’s approach as one of the most physical he has seen in the tournament.
“They defended with a lot of determination, a lot of discipline,” Tuchel said.
Tuchel added that England was not overly dependent on Kane, the striker who won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
“He was not involved as much as we would like him to be, but it was so narrow,” Tuchel said. “It was difficult to find space. The little moments he had were just unlucky.”
In the first half, England held 60% possession but managed only five attempts on goal, with Kane missing a close-range chance just before halftime.
Ghana increased its intensity after the break, coming close in the 50th minute when Marvin Senaya got a touch inside the box, but his effort was blocked by the England defense.
Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare earned a clean sheet in his first World Cup start.
“I think we did our best to get the result we were hoping for,” Ghana midfielder Kwasi Sibo said. “It’s just the plan of the coach, and we followed it.”
