England vs Ghana: 'Three Lions' Will Be Hard to Stop

Jakarta (ANTARA) - England could join Germany, Argentina, and France as former World Cup winners to secure a place in the 2026 World Cup knockout phase if they defeat Ghana in their Group L match in Foxborough, Massachusetts, United States, on Wednesday (24/6) at 02:00 WIB. If Thomas Tuchel’s side beats Ghana and Croatia defeats Panama on the same day, the Three Lions will become group winners regardless of their final match result against Panama. Both England and Ghana began their 2026 World Cup campaigns with victories. England defeated Croatia 4-2, whilst Ghana edged Panama 1-0. However, the manner of those wins differed vastly. England secured their victory through relatively dominant play, whereas Ghana won whilst being pressed by their opponents. Ghana were outplayed in nearly every statistic. Only a goal from Caleb Yirenkyi rendered Panama’s superiority meaningless. Ghana were inferior in possession, controlling only 37 percent of the ball. The Black Stars created just two clear-cut chances compared to Panama’s four, and were also less aggressive in the final third and in their ability to deliver line-breaking passes. In the first half, Ghana did not even manage a single shot on target. This contrasts with England, who created 22 chances, half of which were on target, whilst Croatia managed only half of what the Three Lions produced. However, Croatia were not inferior to England in terms of penetrating the final third. Both teams entered the attacking third 37 times. England were also slightly surpassed by Croatia in the aspect of completing line-breaking passes. England completed 94 out of 153 such passes, whereas Croatia’s figure was 99 out of 160.