2026 World Cup: 'We defended for most of the game' - Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo after drawing with England
Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo has acknowledged that the Black Stars spent long spells without the ball as they battled to secure a goalless draw against England in their Group L clash on Tuesday night at the Boston Stadium.
England dominated possession throughout the encounter, controlling large phases of play and finishing with 79 per cent of the ball — the highest recorded by a team that failed to score in a World Cup match in six decades. Despite that dominance, they were repeatedly denied by a disciplined and resilient Ghana backline.
Ghana, however, held their shape well and limited clear-cut chances as they frustrated the Three Lions in a match where defensive organisation proved decisive.
"We defended for most of the game. We knew it would be like that. We needed to stay in our shape and put our bodies on the line. We did that today.
"It was tough today. Props to the team, we knew we wouldn't have much of the ball and go forward as much as we wanted to. Hopefully, we can go on to get through.
"Every attacker wants to be on the ball rather than off the ball, but it's what the team needed."
Reflecting on his missed opportunity, Semenyo admitted the moment came quickly and left little time to react.
"It happened so fast, I tried to move out of the way. We get forward really quickly. We're unlucky not to get that goal."
The result leaves both sides level on four points at the top of Group L heading into the final round of fixtures.
England now shift focus to their meeting with Panama, while Ghana prepare for a decisive showdown with Croatia, with qualification to the knockout stage still up for grabs.