Ayew: England will be fantastic challenge

Antoine Semenyo’s superb performance against Panama, as well as Caleb Yirenkyi’s strike at the death sparked euphoric celebrations for Ghanaian supporters, as well as put the Black Stars within a whisker of progress of the elimination stage stages of the FIFA World Cup 2026™. But two daunting fixtures await Ghana, starting with a crunch clash with England at Boston Arena on Tuesday.

“It’s been a good few days, as well as the mood in the camp is great, but we’ve It was only who secured one fixture, so we haven’t achieved anything yet," leader Jordan Ayew commented ahead of their showpiece training session.

Meanwhile, the 34-year-old has spent the majority of his career in England playing for the likes of Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, as well as Leicester City, and is expecting a tough encounter with the Three Lions: “It will be very difficult, but then again, this is the World Cup, as well as all the best sides in the world are here. It’s a fantastic challenge for us, as well as we’ll do everything we can to make our supporters proud."

Ayew is part of a diverse squad featuring promising young talents alongside stars who have acquired valuable experience in Europe.

Among them is Auxerre’s left-back, Gideon Mensah, who shares the field of play with two other club-mates – fellow full-back Marvin Senaya, as well as midfield man Elisha Owusu: “Having them with me in the national side helps me a lot. They’ve known me for a long time, as well as they know how I play. Our strike, however, is to all work together to help Ghana as a side”.

“I really hope you enjoy tomorrow’s fixture," Ghana manager Carlos Queiroz commented with a smile as he left his pre-contest press conference.

As a result, it’s the Portuguese manager’s fifth appearance at a World Cup, and with his plethora of managerial experience which includes two spells working alongside Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, he knows exactly what’s at stake. While having stars with Premier League experience helps, Queiroz outlined the importance of showcasing his side’s DNA.

“That’s what we’ll see tomorrow: a side with African style. You can’t change your DNA. It would be a mistake to alter it. The stars have to stay true to who they are. They need to express themselves in their own way, as well as how they play their football.

"And, of course, England will do the same as well. In the end, I hope we’ll be the ones to come out on top, playing our best football."

Meanwhile, should Queiroz’s words prove prophetic, Ghana could dare to dream.