England manager Thomas Tuchel has lauded Ghana’s organisation and resilience after the Black Stars held the Three Lions to a goalless draw in their Group L encounter on Tuesday night.
Tuchel admitted his side found it difficult to penetrate a well-drilled Ghanaian defence, describing the opposition’s structure and intensity as a major obstacle throughout the contest.
England enjoyed long spells of possession but struggled to convert dominance into clear chances, as Ghana remained compact and disciplined in their defensive shape.
Speaking after the match, Tuchel said: “Credit to them. I rarely saw a physical performance like that from a team,” the former Chelsea boss told the BBC.
“They defended with 10 players in a deep, deep block, so it made it difficult for us because they were very disciplined and very physical in every position, so it took us a while to break this block down, to find this rhythm.
“Everything was our responsibility to find rhythm. At the same time, you need to be careful not to concede counterattacks,” he added.
England controlled 79 per cent of possession — the highest recorded by a side that failed to score in a World Cup match in more than 60 years — but were repeatedly denied by Ghana’s organised backline.
The draw leaves both teams level on four points at the top of Group L heading into the final round of fixtures.
England turn their attention to a clash with Panama, while Ghana face a decisive meeting with Croatia, with qualification for the knockout stages finely balanced.
