It’s Always Tough When You Play Against 11 Behind The Ball -Rice Laments England’s Draw With Ghana

England midfielder Declan Rice said it was difficult to beat Ghana’s Black Stars because they had all their eleven players behind the ball

Ghana produced a disciplined defensive performance to hold England to a 0-0 draw at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Group L.

The result means Ghana remain firmly in contention for a place in the round of 32.

The Black Stars, organised and compact throughout, frustrated Thomas Tuchel’s side and moved to four points from two matches in the group.

England dominated possession but struggled to break down Carlos Queiroz’s team, who defended with patience, courage and concentration.

Goalkeeper Benjamin Asare, who play in the Ghana Premier League, made important second-half saves, while Ghana’s back line repeatedly blocked, cleared and disrupted England’s attacks.

The result means both Ghana and England will enter the final round of group matches with four points each.

A draw for Ghana against Croatia on 27 June would be enough to take the Black Stars into the knockout stage.

Speaking after the encounter Rice told BBC:”It is always difficult when you play against 11 behind the ball as deep as they were, but you have to find solutions. In the last 10 minutes we were unlucky not to score.

“We still have a great chance to top the group against Panama so positivity all round. They were very compact, 5-4-1 off the ball and tight spaces to play through, but on the other hand we can do more with the ball.

“You have to give credit to Ghana. It’s tough and they are good players so it was never going to be an easy game. We have one more group game to top the group so we have to be positive.

“Loads of top nations draw the first game so there is no need to be negative or downbeat. We will stay positive.”