Black Stars captain Jordan Ayew says Ghana is ready for its crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup clash against England and is determined to make the nation proud.
The Black Stars head into Tuesday’s Group L encounter with confidence after securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Panama in their opening match, courtesy of a late winner from Caleb Yirenkyi.
Speaking to the media ahead of the highly anticipated showdown, Ayew described the atmosphere in camp as positive and said the players remain fully focused on the task ahead.
“It has been positive, and it has been good. Everyone is ready for the next game. We’ve won just one game, and we are not yet done,” the 34-year-old said.
“We still have two more important games to play. We want to ensure that we do our best, enjoy ourselves, and get positive results.”
Ayew acknowledged that England would pose a significant challenge but stressed that facing top teams is part of competing at the World Cup.
“It’s going to be a tough game, and we all know that. That’s why we are at the World Cup – you have to play against the best teams,” he said.
“We are ready for the challenge, and we are going to do our best to make ourselves proud and make our country and families proud.”
Reflecting on Ghana’s victory over Panama, the Leicester City forward noted that every match at the World Cup is difficult.
“There are no easy games at the World Cup. Every game is difficult because you play against the best teams. Obviously, it was a difficult game against Panama, but in the end, we got the three points, and that’s the most important thing.
“Now we are playing against England, and it’s going to be really difficult, but we will see what happens. We will put on a show and make everybody proud.”
A positive result against England could secure Ghana’s place in the knockout stages with a game to spare.
The Black Stars will conclude their Group L campaign against Croatia on June 27 as they seek to reach the World Cup knockout stage for the first time since their historic quarter-final run in 2010.
