Harry Kane: We're in a good position now, and we need to focus on the game against Panama.

England captain Harry Kane stated after the team's 0-0 draw against Ghana in Group L of the 2026 FIFA World Cup that he believes England still has the ability to qualify as group winners. In the match held at Boston Stadium, England dominated possession and created numerous attacking opportunities, but failed to break through Ghana's defense, ultimately resulting in a draw.  

Currently, the team is in first place in Group L due to a superior goal difference, ahead of Ghana, and will have the initiative to qualify in the final round against Panama.  

After the match, Harry Kane acknowledged the team's overall performance while also acknowledging the opponent's organizational ability in defense. He said, "That's the kind of game where the opponent's defense is very difficult to break down. I think we had a lot of possession, especially in the last 15 minutes of both halves, which was our best period."  

"Our opponents started to tire towards the end of the game, which gave us some chances. I had a good chance myself, and Nico O'Reilly also hit the crossbar with a shot. We could have won the game. Overall, we didn't give them many chances defensively, only being threatened on a few counter-attacks."  

“The opponents do have some threatening players, but overall we controlled the game quite well. We certainly wanted to win, but we can accept this result. We are still in a favorable position in the group.”  

Speaking about his scoring chances, Harry Kane added: "You always encounter these kinds of games. As a striker, you need to be patient and wait for opportunities. The ball might suddenly appear in front of you, but I didn't control it very well in that situation. I'm confident that I can finish most of the time, but sometimes things just happen, and I have to accept the result."  

“I was heavily marked by Thomas Partey at the time, and I had very limited space when I dropped back to receive the ball. They also did a good job organizing their defense in the penalty area. We sent out a lot of crosses, but it was difficult to win the first ball.”  

Despite failing to secure a victory, Harry Kane remained positive about the team's overall situation. He stated, "We gradually improved during the game, with our wingers starting to get one-on-one opportunities and creating some threats. However, in a tournament like the World Cup, every team is very strong, and their defensive organization is very tight."  

"We are in a good position right now, and we will face Panama next. Major tournaments usually need to be viewed in stages, with the group stage and the knockout stage separated. We have completed the first stage, and now we need to focus on securing qualification for the next stage of the competition."  

Image source: Internet/England National Team official website