Soccer
England vs. Ghana player ratings: Three Lions left frustrated by African stubbornness
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England dominated possession but could not find a way past Ghana's stubborn defensive wall in a frustrating goalless draw.
Jerome Opoku anchored a resolute rearguard that blocked, cleared, and headed away everything England threw at them across 90 minutes of sustained pressure.
Harry Kane's glaring miss from six yards after Nico O'Reilly struck the crossbar summed up a night where 19 shots yielded just three on target.
DAZN News rates each set of players and our player of the match:
Player of the Match
Jerome Opoku (Ghana)
Opoku delivered a commanding defensive masterclass against one of the tournament's most potent attacks. He blocked Noni Madueke's curling effort, won virtually every aerial duel in his defensive third, and intercepted through balls with impeccable timing throughout.
His concentration never wavered during England's late siege, with headed clearances and composed ball-playing under pressure characterising a performance that kept Ghana in the match when the pressure was at its most intense.
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England
Jordan Pickford (6.7): Rarely tested as Ghana posed minimal attacking threat all night.
Reece James (6.6): Overlapped frequently and delivered crosses but lacked final-third precision.
Ezri Konsa (6.7): Reliable in possession circulation and comfortable containing Ghana's limited threat.
Marc Guéhi (7.0): Header cleared off the line in stoppage time denied him a winner.
Djed Spence (7.0): Crucial last-ditch block denied Senaya at 50 minutes in Ghana's best chance.
Declan Rice (6.2): Two headers over, a blocked shot, and a yellow card summed up frustrating night.
Elliot Anderson (6.4): Headers blocked and off-target from corners without troubling Asare.
Jude Bellingham (6.1): Subdued display, dispossessed by Partey and struggled against compact shape.
Noni Madueke (6.5): Curling left-footed efforts blocked or wide despite willing dribbling.
Anthony Gordon (6.4): Worked left channel and drew fouls but shot gathered comfortably by Asare.
Harry Kane (5.7): Blazed close-range rebound over the bar in glaring 87th-minute miss.
Bukayo Saka (7.0): Curling shot drew brilliant Asare save; injected energy after introduction.
Nico O'Reilly (7.0): Towering header crashed against crossbar from six yards; desperately unlucky.
Morgan Rogers (6.4): Showed willingness to drive forward but found limited space in cameo.
Eberechi Eze (6.2): Cross led to Guéhi's cleared header; otherwise struggled to beat defenders.
Marcus Rashford (6.1): Equalled Denilson's substitute record but lacked time to influence proceedings.
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Ghana
Benjamin Asare (7.9): Brilliant diving save denied Saka's curler; commanded area confidently throughout.
Marvin Senaya (7.1): Created Ghana's best chance at 50 minutes; defensively diligent throughout.
Jonas Adjetey (7.5): Two crucial blocks on Rice and Kane protected goalless first half.
Jerome Opoku (8.3): Outstanding defensive anchor; blocked shots, won aerial duels, read danger superbly.
Gideon Mensah (7.0): Disciplined left-back work limited Madueke and denied crossing opportunities consistently.
Thomas Partey (8.0): Commanding return; dispossessed Bellingham and organised defensive shape brilliantly.
Caleb Yirenkyi (6.9): Maintained compact shape alongside Partey without standing out individually.
Kwasi Sibo (7.2): Vital point-blank block on Anderson's header from corner around 61 minutes.
Iñaki Williams (5.9): Yellow card for foul on Gordon; struggled to hold ball up before substitution.
Antoine Semenyo (6.8): Ghana's likeliest attacking outlet but isolated by defensive approach throughout.
Jordan Ayew (6.5): Captained with experience but had limited involvement in deep defensive setup.
Issahaku Fatawu (6.8): Fresh energy off bench; beat Rashford with close control before earning foul.
Prince Adu (6.2): Lost aerial duels and struggled to establish himself as target man.
Kojo Peprah Oppong (7.4): Match-defining goal-line clearance denied Guéhi's header at 90+4 minutes.
Abdul Rahman Baba (6.0): Brief stoppage-time cameo as time-management substitution; minimal involvement.
Created on 23/06/2026, 23:33:26
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