England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has praised Ghana’s tactical organisation and resilience after the two sides played out a goalless draw in their Group L encounter at Boston Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Black Stars produced a compact and disciplined defensive display to frustrate England, who dominated possession but failed to convert their control into goals.
Thomas Tuchel’s team enjoyed 79 per cent of the ball — the highest recorded possession by a side that did not score in a World Cup match in six decades — yet repeatedly found Ghana’s backline in their way.
Despite England’s territorial dominance, Ghana limited clear-cut opportunities and held firm throughout a tense contest.
Speaking after the match, Pickford acknowledged the difficulty of breaking down the four-time African champions.
“They played a good game, but we have got to be happy. We’re still top of the group, now focus on Panama and top the group. Ghana have players like Semenyo, so you have to be ready to be called upon, and that’s what I felt I did,” the Everton goalkeeper told the BBC.
“We would’ve loved to win the game, but we have not lost. It’s tournament football, and still in our hands to top the group. You play different teams every game, and we just needed that goal; it’s as simple as that. We limited them to so few chances.”
He added that England’s inability to find the decisive goal proved costly despite their control of the match.
“We never managed to get that goal, but that’s football,” Pickford added.
The result leaves both sides level on four points at the top of Group L heading into the final round of fixtures.
England now shift focus to Panama, while Ghana prepare for a decisive clash against Croatia, with qualification for the knockout stage still finely poised.
