sports
Ghana Coach Says Team Ready for England World Cup Match
Ghana's national team coach said his players will draw motivation from the country's population ahead of a Group L match against England. Both teams have one win each in the group stage.
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Ghana's national football team will face England on Tuesday at Boston Stadium in a FIFA World Cup Group L match that could determine which side advances to the knockout rounds. He told reporters the team has "33 million lions" behind it. Ghana opened its campaign with a 1-0 win over Panama on a stoppage-time goal. England defeated Croatia 4-2 in its opening match.
The coach said games against traditional football powers require little added motivation. He noted that players are naturally eager to perform in such contests and that the task is to manage enthusiasm while staying united for the full 90 minutes. Ghana is ranked 65th in the world while England is ranked fourth.
A win for Ghana would move the team closer to its first appearance in the World Cup knockout rounds since reaching the quarter-finals in 2010. The coach acknowledged the quality of the opposing squad but said his team knows how to handle the intensity.
He added that the players are fully switched on and ready to use all available weapons, intensity, and quality. The two nations have not previously met in a competitive match. Their only prior encounter was a 1-1 friendly result in 2011.
