Semenyo ready to upset City buddies as Ghana eye England scalp

The Manchester City star picked up the player-of-the-match award as the Black Stars kicked off their World Cup campaign with three precious points.

And with the Three Lions up next in Boston, he is relishing locking horns with some familiar faces in Group L.

City team-mates James Trafford, Marc Guehi and Nico O’Reilly, along with soon-to-be free agent John Stones, are all part of Thomas Tuchel’s squad.

But that strong club bond is trumped by Semenyo's desire to help his country book a place in the knockout phase.

Speaking to FIFA, he said: "Of course, they're my friends and there's love there but now it's just time to focus.

“We had a little bit of banter before we left for the World Cup but I don't think there’s going to be any more.

"I don't think I’ll be texting anybody from the England team. If they text me, I'll reply. But it's a serious competition, so it’s just time to lock in."

Ghana had to wait until the fifth minute of stoppage time to break the deadlock against Panama, with Caleb Yirenkyi bagging the only goal of the game.

That effort sent the fans wild in the stands in Toronto — and 26-year-old Semenyo is desperate to give them more to celebrate.

He added: "Ninety minutes plus five... I don't even know how to describe that emotion.

"We were all so relieved because we knew how important this game was for us and also because it gives us a confidence boost going into the next one

"They [Panama] had some quite big guys but we like that physicality. That's what we thrive off and I thought it was a really good match-up.

"I’m so happy to say that we've got that win but we can't take our foot off the gas. We now have two important games and big challenges ahead of us.

"It’s going to be really tough and that’s why we needed this win and the confidence to potentially help us into the next round.

“We feel like with this team, we've got talent, we've got a point to prove — and I feel like that's the driving force for us."

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Despite recording an impressive 4-2 win over Croatia, England twice saw goals from skipper Harry Kane cancelled out after switching off during a rollercoaster first half that left Tuchel fuming.

But strikes from Jude Bellingham and substitute Marcus Rashford after the break wrapped up a win to cap a much-improved performance.

And the Three Lions will need to carry that momentum into the clash with a fired-up Semenyo and Co, who are determined to cause an upset.

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