World Cup 2026: Ghana holds England to a draw and moves closer to qualification

An Impeccable Ghanaian Block

Carlos Queiroz had prepared his match to perfection. With Thomas Partey back in midfield, Ghana set up in a solid low block, deliberately leaving the ball to the English, who were unable to do anything with it. Bellingham was a ghost. Kane, isolated, never made an impact. Gordon and Madueke ran into an organized and focused Ghanaian defense for 90 minutes. The first shot on target of the match only came in the 57th minute for the English side.

The Black Stars Almost Did Even Better

Far from sitting back, Ghana had their chances. Semenyo almost surprised the English defense at the start of the second half, and Prince Adu found himself alone against Pickford in the 79th minute, before being stopped at the very last moment by Konsa. At the end of the match, it was Oppong who cleared a ball off his line during stoppage time. At the same time, the Three Lions missed two golden chances: O’Reilly hit the bar, then Kane, from close range, sent the ball into the stands (86th minute).

Ghana Off to a Good Start for the Round of 16

With 4 points on the board, the Black Stars are displaying a collective calmness and coherence rarely seen at this stage of the competition. Their last group match against Croatia, who were beaten by England, is shaping up to be an opportunity to finish top of the group. Ghana not only held their own against the Three Lions tonight: they showed them that Africa is very much present at this 2026 World Cup.