Ghana seeks World Cup glory against England, inspired by 2010 quarter-final legacy

Antoine Semenyo carries the weight of Ghana's World Cup history into Tuesday's match against England in Massachusetts. The Manchester City forward was only 10 years old when he watched the 2010 quarter-final against Uruguay from his uncle's house in south-east London, a match that came agonizingly close to sending Ghana to the semi-finals before Luis Suárez's infamous handball denied them. "I remember being at my uncle's house, and we were screaming after the handball, thinking we were going through," Semenyo recalled. "Watching Ghana play in the World Cup was so special. Mum, Dad, uncles, aunties, cousins all turn up to one house, and we would watch all the games together."

Ghana's performance in recent World Cups has disappointed compared to their heroic 2010 run to the quarter-finals in South Africa. Eliminated early in Brazil 2014 after finishing bottom of their group and failing to progress far in Qatar 2022, Ghana's hopes were revived with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto in their opening match. Twenty-year-old Caleb Yirenkyi scored the winning goal, breaking Asamoah Gyan's record as Ghana's youngest World Cup scorer. The victory has reignited memories of the 2010 team's opening 1-0 win over Serbia, also secured by a Gyan penalty.

The Class of 2010 transcended football in Africa. They reached the quarter-finals as the first African team to come so close to the semi-finals, earning the affectionate nickname "BaGhana BaGhana" from supporters across the continent. Players like Gyan, Kwadwo Asamoah, André Ayew, and Dominic Adiyiah—whose goal-bound header was blocked by Suárez—became continental heroes. Many had won the Under-20 World Cup a year earlier in Egypt, defeating Brazil on penalties in the final.

Jonathan Mensah, the central defender who played in the 2010 team as a 19-year-old, sees both parallels and differences with the current squad. "The momentum we got from the first game was really important," he said of 2010. "To get a point in our second game was crucial because that helped us qualify for the next stage. Now we need another good game against a good English side." However, Mensah acknowledged the current team lacks the exceptional depth of talent that defined 2010. "We have some talented players now but it's nothing compared to 2010 because we had a little bit of everything in that squad. We had the likes of Kevin-Prince Boateng, Kwadwo and Gyan—who was arguably the hottest we've ever seen him."

Ghana's coach Carlos Queiroz, who took charge only a month before the tournament and became the team's fifth coach in as many years, must guide a fairly young squad against familiar English opposition. Semenyo will face Manchester City teammates John Stones and Nico O'Reilly in what shapes as a critical match for both nations' tournament ambitions.