England head coach Thomas Tuchel has described his team’s World Cup group as challenging, acknowledging the pedigree of two of their opponents, Croatia and Ghana.
Reacting to Friday’s draw in Washington, Tuchel noted the strength and experience of the two sides while admitting limited knowledge about Panama.
“Difficult group with Croatia and Ghana, two regulars in World Cups and two proud and strong nations,” Tuchel said.
He added, “Panama, I don’t know much about Panama at the moment but we will find out about it before the tournament starts, of course.”
Tuchel’s assessment reflects the competitive landscape of Group L, which will see England, Ghana, Croatia and Panama battling for qualification.
England and Ghana have faced each other only once at senior level. The friendly match took place on March 29, 2011, at Wembley Stadium, ending 1–1.
Andy Carroll scored for England, while Asamoah Gyan equalised for Ghana in the final minutes. It remains the only official meeting between the two nations.
In World Cup history, England and Ghana have never met in the tournament. England won the World Cup in 1966 and have reached the semifinals in 1990 and 2018.
Ghana first appeared at the World Cup in 2006, reached the Round of 16 in 2006, and advanced to the quarterfinals in 2010, becoming only the third African nation to do so.
