England were frustrated by a stubborn Ghana defence as they drew 0-0 in their second match of the 2026 World Cup.
After a 4-2 win over Croatia in the opening match, there was confidence that England would be able to book their place into the knockout stages with a game to spare.
But Ghana defended in a deep block and England, despite having as much as 78% of possession throughout the whole match, did not have a shot on target until the second half and drew the second match for the fourth successive major tournament.
Nico O’Reilly hit the crossbar with a header in the final five minutes and the normally clinical Harry Kane blew his lines on the rebound when blazing over the bar in England’s two best chances.
England do still remain top of the group on four points, with Croatia and Panama to play later this evening and both on zero points after one game.
England were often criticised for being too cautious under former head coach Gareth Southgate, but last Wednesday’s World Cup opener against Croatia in Dallas, Texas, was anything but.
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A first-half brace from Kane was cancelled out by Croatia before the halftime, before goals from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford secured the three points for Tuchel’s side.
The opening minutes of the second half were as dominant a spell produced by a team at the World Cup so far and underlined England’s World Cup credentials. And the fact Kane got off the mark in the first game perhaps bodes well for the rest of the tournament.
Ghana, meanwhile, also tasted victory in their first game, with Caleb Yirenkyi’s 95th-minute goal clinching all three points against Panama.
Carlos Queiroz’s team did not win any plaudits for their display, but with the likes of Antoine Semenyo among their number, Ghana were awkward opponents for an England team looking to keep up their tournament momentum.
ESPN
