Ghana Frustrate England to a Goalless Draw at the World Cup

England were held to a 0-0 draw by Ghana at Boston Stadium on June 23, four days after a 4-2 win over Croatia in their World Cup opener.

It is the fourth straight major tournament where England have drawn their second group game, following Euro 2020, the 2022 World Cup, Euro 2024, and now this. The pattern has become a talking point in its own right, and even England’s own players were openly discussing it after the final whistle.

The pattern repeats

England dominated possession, holding close to 80% in the first half. None of it translated into a breakthrough.

The opening 45 minutes produced no shots on target from either side, the first such half at this tournament. England’s assistant coach Anthony Barry described Ghana’s defensive line at halftime as “deep, deep, deep — probably deeper than we expected.“

Ghana, managed by Carlos Queiroz, sat in a disciplined low block and refused to be pulled out of position. Queiroz, now at his fifth World Cup as a coach, built the entire gameplan around denying space rather than chasing the ball. It worked for ninety minutes.

The chances England didn’t take

• Jude Bellingham had a shot blocked in the first half
• Declan Rice headed over from a Noni Madueke cross
• Harry Kane was denied late in the first half by two Ghana defenders
• Elliot Anderson guided a header over the bar from a corner after the break
• Anthony Gordon’s effort dropped just in front of Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare

The biggest moment came late on. Substitute Nico O’Reilly struck the crossbar with a header. The rebound fell to Kane, unmarked, close range, open net.

He put it over the bar.

The penalty shout

Deep into the match, Prince Adu went down inside the box under a challenge from Ezri Konsa. The referee waved play on. No VAR review changed it.

Ghana’s point stayed intact. A different decision and the result could have been worse for England.

What Bellingham said

Bellingham was named Player of the Match by FIFA. He didn’t accept it quietly.

“I didn’t deserve it, to be honest,” he said. “It should have gone to one of their lads who defended so well. I had a couple of moments, it was hard to get into the game, and I’m grateful for whoever voted but it should’ve gone to one of their lads.“

He also addressed the recurring issue directly: “Like always, it’s second-game fever with England. Win the first one, do well and draw the second.“

Declan Rice offered a more measured read afterward. “Loads of top nations drew their first game, so there’s no need to be negative,” he said. “We need to stay positive, keep going, and recover before the next match. You have to give credit to Ghana — they were 5-4-1 off the ball, very compact, tight spaces to play through. But maybe we can do a little bit more with the ball and create a bit more.”

Thomas Tuchel was unmoved by the result itself. “I’m not frustrated. I saw it coming as I knew this would be a difficult game,” he said. “Ghana are physical and so committed. Full credit to them. They were difficult to break down. We conceded only two dangerous chances.“

Ghana’s perspective

For Queiroz’s side, the point matters enormously. Ghana beat Panama 1-0 in their opener with a stoppage-time winner and now sit level with England on four points in Group L, separated only by goal difference.

Queiroz praised his players’ discipline after the match: “I am so proud, the way our players they fought during the game, how much they stand behind the game plan.” A result against Croatia in the final round would put Ghana in position for their first World Cup knockout-round appearance in over a decade, a team many had written off before the tournament started.

What’s next

England face Panama in their final group game. A win secures top spot in Group L. A draw likely does too, given goal difference.

Thomas Tuchel now has one more match to find an answer to a problem that has outlasted three of his predecessors. Beating Croatia showed what England can do when a game opens up. Boston showed they still don’t have a plan for a team that refuses to give them one.