Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz has challenged his players to embrace the demands of battle when they face England in a crucial Group L encounter at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, with a place in the World Cup knockout stage at stake.
The experienced tactician said sacrifice and resilience would be essential against the Three Lions, insisting the Black Stars are fully prepared for the challenge that awaits them.
Ghana head into the match buoyed by a disciplined 1-0 victory over Panama in their opening group fixture, a result that has moved them closer to a first appearance in the Round of 32 since their memorable quarter-final run at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
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Central to Ghana’s prospects is the likely return of Thomas Partey. The Villarreal midfielder, who has 57 caps for the Black Stars, missed the Panama game after Canadian authorities denied him a visa, citing criminal charges of rape and sexual assault pending against him in Britain. Partey has pleaded not guilty to all charges. With Ghana’s remaining group matches in the United States, he is expected to be available and his combative presence in midfield could prove decisive against England.
England, meanwhile, come into the game brimming with confidence following a 4-2 rout of Croatia, with goals from Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford underlining Thomas Tuchel’s more expansive approach. A second successive victory would allow Tuchel the luxury of rotating his squad ahead of the final group game against Panama.
But Queiroz’s Ghana have the pace, physicality and organisational discipline to exploit any defensive lapses on the counter-attack and history shows World Cups have a habit of rewarding belief over reputation.
