Africa-Press – Eritrea. Ghana held England to a 0-0 draw on Tuesday in the second round of Group 12 matches in the 2026 World Cup. Despite numerous scoring opportunities, both teams failed to find the net, resulting in a goalless match.
With this draw, both teams secured a place in the Round of 32 after winning their opening matches.
England had previously defeated Croatia 4-2 in their opener, while Ghana achieved a last-minute victory over Panama 1-0, bringing their points total to four in Group 12, which will later see a match between Croatia and Panama in Toronto.
England will play their final match against Panama on Saturday in New Jersey, while Ghana will face Croatia at the same time in Philadelphia.
England, currently ranked fourth in the world, is still in search of a second World Cup title after their only win in 1966 on home soil. Ghana, ranked 73rd, reached the quarter-finals in 2010, marking their best performance in four previous appearances.
German coach Thomas Tuchel made two changes to the England lineup, replacing Nico O’Reilly and John Stones in defense with Jed Spence and Marc Guéhi.
Ghana’s lineup saw four changes, including a switch in goalkeeping with Benjamin Asare starting instead of the injured Lawrence Ati-Zigi.
At Gillette Stadium in Boston, in front of 63,000 spectators, Thomas Partey started in midfield, marking his first match in this edition after being barred from entering Canada for the opening match due to allegations of rape in Britain.
The first half was frustrating for England, who struggled to find gaps in the organized and cohesive Ghanaian side led by experienced Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz.
The “Three Lions” only managed a few ordinary chances, with Declan Rice sending a free kick over the bar, and a shot from Kane being deflected wide just before the halftime whistle.
This was the first match in the current edition to reach halftime without any shots on target.
England dominated possession without effectiveness, registering 18 attempts, four of which were on target compared to Ghana’s two (one on target).
From a counter-attack, Ghana’s substitute Prince Adu nearly opened the scoring, but his shot was deflected by teammate Semenyo, denying him the chance to score (79).
England had their best opportunity in the 86th minute when substitute Nico O’Reilly headed the ball against the crossbar, but top scorer Harry Kane missed the follow-up, sending it high over the bar from the edge of the area.
