The highly anticipated Group L clash between the Black Stars and England's Three Lions ended in a stalemate yesterday.

Before the match, several predictions went in favour of the Three Lions; however, the Black Stars gave no chance for England to move past them.

Speaking after the match, England midfielder Declan Rice applauded Ghana’s defensive performance. According to him, despite his side enjoying possession, none of them was able to find the back of the net due to the Black Stars' “compact” defensive block until the final whistle.

“It is the second clean sheet for the Black Stars, having kept Panama at bay in their opener. It's always difficult when you play against eleven behind the ball. Give credit to Ghana, they were very compact. It was tough. They are good players”, Rice admitted.

However, he remained optimistic that his side would finish atop the group to proceed to the next stage.

"We keep going, we still have a great chance of finishing top of the group. There's no need to be negative; we need to stay positive", he noted.

The result leaves England top of Group L on four points, level with Ghana, who occupy second place.

Both sides remain firmly in contention for a place in the Round of 32, with Ghana now turning attention to their final group game against Croatia on June 27.

About the game

In the first half, England controlled the tempo from the start, stringing together 343 passes compared to Ghana’s 99. Declan Rice came closest early on, curling a free‑kick over the bar in the 14th minute. Despite the pressure, Ghana’s compact defensive shape kept England from creating clear‑cut chances.

The Black Stars sat deep, absorbing wave after wave of attacks, and went into the break level at 0–0.

The Black Stars came with a different energy in the second half, securing their first shot in the 50th minute. Six minutes later, Anthony Gordon tested goalkeeper Benjamin Asare, who produced a sharp save to keep the scoreline intact.

The Black Stars nearly stunned England in the 80th minute when Abdul Fatawu broke through the defense, but his effort was inadvertently blocked on the line by teammate Antoine Semenyo.

England responded with late pressure, and in the 87th minute Nico O’Reilly’s header rattled the crossbar. The rebound fell to Harry Kane, but the captain blasted over from close range, summing up England’s frustrating evening.