World Cup 2026: We had to defend against England – Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo admits

Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo has acknowledged the Black Stars spent much of their 0-0 draw with England on the back foot, as they earned a hard-fought point in their Group L clash on Tuesday night at Boston Stadium.

England dominated possession throughout the contest, but were repeatedly frustrated by a compact and disciplined Ghana side that refused to break.

The Three Lions controlled 79 per cent of the ball — the highest recorded possession by a team that failed to score in a World Cup match in 60 years — yet could not convert their superiority into goals.

Semenyo admitted Ghana expected such a scenario and focused on defensive organisation to secure the result.

“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,” he told the BBC.

“Every attacker wants to be on the ball rather than off the ball, but it’s what the team needed.”

He added that the team accepted its limited time on the ball, prioritising structure and resilience over attacking freedom.

“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.”

Reflecting on a missed opportunity, Semenyo said the chance came too quickly to react decisively.

“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 matches.

England will next face Panama, while Ghana prepare for a decisive encounter with Croatia as qualification for the knockout stage hangs in the balance.