England, coming off an impressive 4-2 opening win over Croatia, were hoping to build momentum, secure a second straight victory and clinch a place in the World Cup round of 32. Instead, Thomas Tuchel’s side produced a disappointing performance and were held to a 0-0 draw by Ghana at Boston Stadium, leaving qualification in Group 12 to be decided on the final matchday.
England controlled possession early against Ghana’s deep defensive setup, but struggled to turn that control into real chances. It took the Three Lions 57 minutes to record their first shot on target, and even that effort was dealt with by the defense. At the other end, England again looked shaky, repeatedly exposed by dangerous counterattacks from the Black Stars.
Tuchel tried to change the game by taking risks from the bench. He sent on Bukayo Saka, whose minutes are being carefully managed because of an Achilles injury, and replaced Jude Bellingham with Morgan Rogers. The substitutions lifted England’s attack. Saka forced a huge save from Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare, then delivered a fine cross to Nico O’Reilly, who came off the bench and headed powerfully off the crossbar. Marc Guehi also came close, but his header was cleared off the line.
England remain top of Group 12, but they will need points against Panama in their final group match to secure progression officially. Ghana, meanwhile, extended their run of clean sheets to two games and showed they could be very difficult to break down in this tournament.
