FIFA World Cup 2026: England left frustrated by Ghana in World Cup draw

England suffered a World Cup setback on Tuesday as Thomas Tuchels side were held to a frustrating 00 draw by Ghana leaving them with work still do as they bid to progress to the knockout stage as Group L winnersNico OReilly came closest to scoring for England with a late header that hit the bar and captain Harry Kane blasted the rebound over the woodwork but after the promise of their opening 42 win over Croatia this was a performance that will raise doubts about their chances of winning the tournamentEngland dominated possession and had 19 shots to their opponents two yet rarely looked like scoring past Ghanas standin goalkeeper Benjamin Asare in a match watched by 63983 fans at the Gillette Stadium near BostonBoth teams have four points with one group game still to play with progression to the next round all but assured but their final positions still in the balance Kane admitted he had hoped for a better resultObviously disappointed not to win the game he told the BBC Its a game we couldve walked away 10 20 and moved on It was never going to be the prettiest game because of the way they playedCredit to them they defended well dangerous on the counterattack We take the point and move onIn damp cool conditions England delivered a stodgy performance that echoed some of their faltering displays during Euro 2024However there are no dramatic consequences as they take a step closer to the last 32 All they need do now is safely negotiate their final group fixture against Panama at the MetLife Stadium on Saturday and they can turn their attentions to the knockout roundsEngland have still never lost to African opposition at the World Cup and that record was rarely at risk of ending hereGhana nevertheless battled brilliantly as the nation ranked 73rd in the world 69 places behind England put up a determined displayPartey plays Kane quietThe late decision by the Black Stars to appoint Carlos Queiroz as coach is looking increasingly justified with this result following their opening 10 win over Panama The 2010 quarterfinalists face Croatia next in PhiladelphiaThomas Partey returned for Ghana after missing the Panama match in Toronto because Canadian authorities denied him a visa the exArsenal midfielder is facing trial on rape charges in the UKAsare of local side Hearts of Oak started in goal for the Ghanaians after coming on for the injured Lawrence Ati Zigi against PanamaEnglands inability to regularly test him will be a source of concern as Kane was kept quiet and failed to add to his 10 World Cup goals he remains level with Gary Lineker as their alltime top scorer at the tournamentNoni Madueke and Anthony Gordon were unable to make the difference on the wings and their substitutes could not this time have a decisive impactJude Bellingham won his 50th cap as Marc Guehi and Djed Spence replaced John Stones and OReilly in the defenceA Declan Rice freekick that sailed just over was about as close as England came in the opening half In fact it took almost an hour for Asare to make a notable save but it was a comfortable one to deny GordonGhana may feel Jordan Pickford should have been punished for charging out of his box and crashing into Prince Adu without touching the ball but instead the goalkeeper was given a freekickThere was also panic for England when substitute Adu ran through into the area but could not get a shot awayThen the pressure was turned up a notch in the closing minutes as Asare denied Bukayo Saka with a good stop low to his left before OReilly headed off the woodwork from close range and Kane blazed overThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever