2026 World Cup: Gideon Mensah confident Ghana can contain England's set-piece threat

Black Stars defender Gideon Mensah has expressed confidence in Ghana's ability to deal with England's dangerous set-piece play ahead of Tuesday's crucial World Cup Group L encounter.

England, renowned for their effectiveness from corners and free-kicks, pose a significant aerial threat with their physical presence and attacking prowess.

However, Mensah insists Ghana are fully prepared to counter that aspect of the Three Lions' game.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, the Auxerre defender revealed that head coach Carlos Queiroz and his technical team have thoroughly analysed England's strengths and incorporated defensive strategies into their preparations.

​"Yeah, I think it's not just England. Every game that we go into, we take every aspect of the game very serious. You know, set pieces, the gameplay, whatever," Mensah stated.

The Black Stars head into the high-stakes clash buoyed by a disciplined defensive display in their opening 1-0 victory over Panama, where they kept a clean sheet.

While acknowledging England's aggression in attacking situations, Mensah stressed that Ghana have worked extensively on handling such scenarios and are ready for the challenge.

​"And then we see that they are very strong with [that]. They're very aggressive in the box, you know, when they're attacking and stuff like that. But I think like you said, we are ready for it. We've been working towards it and I think we're gonna make sure that nothing happens."

Ghana and England will face off at the Gillette Stadium with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 GMT.

A positive result for the Black Stars would significantly boost their chances of advancing from Group L as they seek a return to the World Cup knockout stages for the first time since the 2010 tournament in South Africa. Ghana will conclude their group campaign on June 27 in Philadelphia.