World Cup 2026: Jordan Ayew relishing ‘special’ Ghana v England clash

Ghana captain Jordan Ayew is excited about their “special game” at the World Cup against England, which he considers his “third home”.

The four time African champions wil face the Three Lions on Tuesday June 23 at Gillette Stadium in their second Group L game, having opened their campaign with a 1-0 win.

Ayew has played in England since the 2015-16 season, representing Aston Villa, Swansea City, Crystal Palace and Leicester City over the last 11 years.

He directly contributed to nine goals (six goals, three assists) as Leicester were relegated to League One, though his focus is now firmly on the World Cup.

Ayew is determined to prove the doubters wrong at this summer’s tournament, and sees Ghana’s fixture against England as the perfect time to do so.

“It’s going to be a special game. I’ve been there for 10 years; it’s like my third home because France is my second home,” Ayew told FIFA.com.

“They’ve been good to me. There have been ups and downs, I’ve experienced everything there, and I have really, really enjoyed my time there. I’m still enjoying it, and hopefully there are more years to come.

“We have to prove ourselves, and we have to show that we have quality, and we have to be ready for the challenge.

“We all know it’s going to be difficult, but we are ready. Obviously, I know people don’t think that we will do well, so that is good.

“I like it when people think like that. We will see when we get there.”

Ayew was involved in 14 goals during the World Cup qualifiers (seven goals, seven assists), the joint-most in CAF qualification alongside Algeria’s Mohammed Amoura.

Ghana, however, have won only one of their last seven matches at the World Cup (D2 L4), which came against South Korea in the 2022 group stages.

Kick-off for the encounter is set for 20:00 GMT, with Ghana knowing that a win or even a draw could be enough to move them closer to the knockout stages.

Carlos Queiroz’s side will complete their Group L campaign against Croatia on June 27, as they chase a first appearance in the World Cup knockout phase since their memorable quarter-final run in 2010.