Former Nigerian national team captain William Troost-Ekong has backed the Black Stars of Ghana to pull off a major upset against England when the two sides meet in Tuesday’s highly anticipated FIFA 2026 World Cup Group L encounter in Foxborough.
Despite the fierce footballing rivalry between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Ghana, the veteran defender revealed he is firmly rooting for the Black Stars in a country where he spent a significant portion of his professional career.
Read Also: We won with our brains — Queiroz hails Ghana after Panama win
African unity at the World Cup
Speaking during a media roundtable hosted by SuperSport, the retired Super Eagles defender said he wants to see African teams thrive on the global stage.
“I would love Ghana to go and do well. I think the beauty of the World Cup is that we want to see the other African teams do well,” Troost-Ekong said.
“I think it’s very important for the continent. Besides the rivalry when we play against each other, there’s also a lot of love because we know the players well. Maybe from my perspective now, having retired from the national team, it’s easier to say that.”
Ghana’s resilience against Panama
Troost-Ekong was impressed by Ghana’s 1-0 victory over Panama in their opening match and believes the Black Stars have shown enough resilience to trouble England.
“I was very happy with their performance against Panama,” he said. “There were a lot of positives. I thought they looked very resilient in that game.”
Impact of substitutes gives Ghana hope
He also singled out substitutes Brandon Thomas-Asante and Abdul Fatawu for their impact in the second half.
“The introduction of Brandon Thomas-Asante and Abdul Fatawu made a really big difference. I think they’ve given England something to think about.”
England’s defensive vulnerabilities
Troost-Ekong, however, believes England’s defence showed vulnerabilities during their 4-2 victory over Croatia.
Thomas Tuchel’s side saw their lead cancelled out twice before goals from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford secured all three points.
“I think picking up the three points against Panama will give Ghana confidence going into the England game,” he added.
“When I’ve seen England play, there are definitely opportunities to take advantage of. If I were predicting that game, I’d probably say a draw because I can see both teams scoring.”
A positive result against England would significantly boost Ghana’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage as they continue their quest for a first World Cup last-16 appearance since South Africa 2010.
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