Benjamin Asare's response to keeping England at bay was as composed as his performance in goal at . The Ghana goalkeeper played a key role as the Black Stars frustrated Thomas Tuchel's side to secure a valuable in Group L – a result built on patience, discipline and a collective defensive effort.
's side approached the game with full respect for the danger England posed and refused to give their attack an inch to play with.
Despite the quality of the forwards at the Three Lions' disposal Ghana’s second shutout in a row at the came as no surprise to goalkeeper Asare, who made his World Cup debut as a substitute against Panama after Lawrence Ati Zigi was forced off injured.
After being put in from the start against the Three Lions, the 33-year-old – who plays his club football back home for Accra Hearts of Oak – remained unfazed by the prospect of facing Harry Kane and Co, securing the Black Stars another clean sheet after the over Panama.
“It’s normal,” Asare said. “For me, this is my job. It’s just what I’m supposed to do out there on the pitch. Sure, playing against Harry Kane is all part of the job. It’s nothing out of the ordinary. Even the best goalkeepers let goals in and strikers are there to score. I’m no different. They might score against me, but they might not. All part of the job.”
With just 20 per cent possession and only 179 completed passes, the Black Stars chose to stay compact at the back, while looking to make the most of bursts forward from Antoine Semenyo and Iñaki Williams. With Noni Madueke and Anthony Gordon constantly crowded out by two defenders, England were never able to break through.
“I think the game plan was very straightforward,” Ghana full-back Gideon Mensah admitted after the match. “People saw us as the underdogs, so the aim was to change the narrative of the game.”
As midfielder Kwasi Sibo revealed, coach Queiroz came in happy at the break and encouraged his side to maintain their approach.
“Being 0-0 at half-time really motivated us, and we were even more fired up when he told us we could win it in the final 45 minutes,” Sibo said.
It was a defensive performance that underlined a remarkable statistic - Ghana sit alongside Mexico, Argentina and Spain as the only teams yet to concede a goal in their first two matches at this FIFA World Cup™.
It was a hard-earned 0-0 draw that puts Ghana in a strong position ahead of their final group match on Saturday.
“I think we played very well today,” said Rennes defender Alidu Seidu. “It took a huge effort. Now we’ll rest, train and be ready to give everything against Croatia.”
That spirit could carry Ghana into the , as they look to echo their incredible run at South Africa 2010, when the Black Stars reached a historic quarter-final.
Sources: FIFA Official
