2026 World Cup: We must die for each other to beat England - Black Stars defender Jerome Opoku
Ghana defender Jerome Opoku says the Black Stars must be prepared to “fight for each other” as they gear up for a high-stakes World Cup showdown with England.
The Black Stars opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Panama at BMO Field, thanks to a late strike from Caleb Yirenkyi that secured all three points for the four-time African champions.
Looking ahead to their second Group L fixture against England at Gillette Stadium on June 23, Opoku stressed the importance of unity and commitment as Ghana aim to build on their strong start.
He acknowledged the quality of the Three Lions under Thomas Tuchel but insisted Ghana are equally focused on their own strengths and ambitions.
"So, we're all happy, we're all happy. Every game is another game, you know. So England, Panama, Croatia, we all have the same focus for each game, and we want to get three points, of course.
"So, yeah, we're going to see how the training goes this week and prepare our best to take all three points for England, yeah.
"Obviously, we know they've got good players, they've got great qualities, but I think as a group we know our qualities too.
"So, this is another game for us, and we need to just give our full fight, as we did in Panama, you know, die for each other on the pitch, and, you know, hopefully we get the three points.
Ghana’s opening win places them second in Group L behind England, who began their campaign with a 4-2 victory over Croatia.
The Black Stars will conclude their group-stage matches against Croatia, with hopes of maintaining momentum in their bid to reach the knockout stage for the first time since their 2010 quarter-final run.