England midfielder Declan Rice jokingly suggested that “black magic” may have played a role in Ghana’s stubborn defensive display after the Black Stars held the Three Lions to a 0-0 draw at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Ghana delivered one of their most disciplined performances of the tournament in Foxborough, Massachusetts, frustrating England throughout their Group L encounter and earning a crucial point in their push toward the knockout stages.
Despite dominating possession and creating multiple chances, England were repeatedly denied by a compact and well-organised Ghana defensive unit.
Speaking after the match, Rice admitted England threw everything at their opponents but still could not find a breakthrough.
“Credit to Ghana, they defended well. We tried everything — shots, headers, set-pieces… nothing worked. I don’t know… maybe the black magic was working,” Rice said with a smile.
His comments came after a frustrating night for England’s attacking line, with captain Harry Kane denied late on by a superb save from Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare.
England came closest in the 86th minute when Asare reacted brilliantly to keep out Kane’s effort, before substitute Nico O’Reilly struck the crossbar moments later as Ghana survived a late surge.
The Black Stars’ defensive resilience continues to be one of the standout narratives of the tournament. After opening with a 1-0 win over Panama, Ghana have now recorded back-to-back clean sheets, placing Carlos Queiroz’s side among the few teams yet to concede a goal.
Rice was quick to praise Ghana’s organisation, discipline, and determination, acknowledging the difficulty of breaking them down.
England remain favourites to progress from Group L, but the draw extended their winless run against Ghana, with both previous meetings between the sides also ending level.
For Ghana, the result was another strong statement of intent. While Rice’s “black magic” remark was clearly made in jest, the Black Stars’ performance left England searching for answers until the final whistle.
With four points from two matches, Ghana now head into their decisive final group game against Croatia knowing another positive result could secure qualification to the knockout rounds.
