Enhland thwart Ghana, controversially holds to a goalless draw

Ghana's hopes of securing an early place in the last 32 of the World Cup were delayed after a frustrating goalless draw against England in a Group L clash at Foxborough, outside Boston.

After opening their campaign with an impressive 1-0 victory over Panama, Ghana arrived full of confidence and expecting to build on a performance that showcased their attacking quality. Instead, they encountered a disciplined England side that successfully neutralised Carlos Queiroz's men and exposed some of their creative limitations.

England had swept aside Croatia with energetic, attacking football, but Ghana presented a completely different challenge. Rather than pressing high and leaving space behind, the Black Stars sat deep, remained compact and invited England to dominate possession without creating meaningful chances.

The result was a largely toothless England display, with the European side struggling to find the imagination and cutting edge required to unlock Ghana's defence.

The frustration was epitomised late in the match when captain Harry Kane blasted over the crossbar with the goal at his mercy, squandering England's clearest opportunity of the evening.

England were also fortunate not to concede a penalty in the 79th minute after defender Ezri Konsa appeared to bring down Ghana substitute Prince Adu inside the penalty area. Ghana's appeals were waved away, much to the relief of the English camp.

Against a well-organised Ghana defence, England created few clear-cut opportunities. Manager Thomas Tuchel shuffled his attacking options in search of a breakthrough, introducing Bukayo Saka for the ineffective Anthony Gordon.

Saka provided an immediate spark and came closest to breaking the deadlock when he forced a fine save from Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare.

England finally increased the tempo in the closing stages. Myles Lewis-Skelly O'Reilly struck the woodwork, while defender Marc Guehi saw his header dramatically cleared off the line.

However, the late pressure arrived too late to rescue a performance that lacked fluency and invention for long periods.

For Ghana, ranked 64th in the world, the result represented a significant achievement and demonstrated their defensive discipline against one of the tournament favourites.

The draw leaves England and Ghana level on four points at the top of Group L. Croatia remain firmly in contention after defeating Panama 1-0 in Toronto later on Tuesday, a result that eliminated the Central Americans from the tournament.

Despite the setback, England midfielder Jude Bellingham insisted there was no cause for alarm, with England still in a strong position heading into their final group match against already-eliminated Panama.

"It's important for us not to get too negative, not to get too het up on it," Bellingham said.

"No worries, no stress, no drama at all in there."

The England national football team star admitted the result was frustrating but suggested it followed a familiar pattern seen in previous tournaments.

"Very frustrating. Like, second game fever, you know, the same as always with us," he said.

"It feels like in all the tournaments I've been to, it's been the same — a decent performance to start and a good win. And then just the second one…"

England will now look to rediscover their attacking rhythm against Panama, knowing that victory should be enough to secure top spot in the group and a place in the knockout stages.