Goal was to frustrate England and we succeeded, says Ghana coach Queiroz

Ghana's coach Carlos Queiroz declared his team's objective was to frustrate England, a goal he felt they "exactly" achieved in their hard-earned 0-0 draw at the 2026 World Cup. Queiroz expressed immense pride in his players' resilience and adherence to the game plan, which saw them secure a crucial point against a favored opponent.

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When you have to defend, you defend. I cannot play samba when they play rock and roll. That's the name of the game, but the goal was exactly to finish the first half with the England team frustrated, with no solutions.

"When you have to defend, you defend. I cannot play samba when they play rock and roll. That's the name of the game, but the goal was exactly to finish the first half with the England team frustrated, with no solutions," Queiroz stated after the match. He highlighted the team's defensive solidity, noting that England struggled to create meaningful chances for much of the game, with their first shot on target not coming until the 59th minute.

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The first goal, it's achieved, we qualify for the second round.

The draw, which saw England dominate possession but fail to convert their chances, virtually guarantees Ghana a place in the knockout stage. With four points, the same as England, Ghana holds a strong position in Group L. Queiroz acknowledged England's strength, calling them "candidates to win the World Cup," but emphasized that the draw was a significant "achievement" for his side.

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I will say, my humble opinion, England, they can be candidates to win the World Cup. But this is a result, an achievement.

Queiroz believes his team grew into the game, controlling it better in the second half and even having opportunities to score. He considered the draw a fair result, acknowledging that England also had chances. The coach's tactical approach focused on shutting down spaces and employing double-teams against England's forwards, a strategy that proved highly effective in disrupting their attacking rhythm.

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When they (England) went into halftime, they knew they don't have solutions to beat us and that was when we started to grow up and control the game. We could have scored. Unfortunately, we didn't do it, but I think also England could score. So a draw is a fair result.