Ghana goalkeeper Ati-Zigi ruled out for England match

Ghana will be without first-choice goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi for a pivotal World Cup match against England on Tuesday, June 23, after medical examinations confirmed he suffered a groin injury in the team's opening victory. The injury, sustained in a collision during Ghana's 1-0 win over Panama on Wednesday, June 17, in Toronto, is expected to require about three weeks of recovery.

Benjamin Asare, who replaced Ati-Zigi at halftime against Panama and helped preserve the clean sheet, is set to make his first World Cup start in goal for the crucial Group L encounter at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. A win for Ghana would all but secure a place in the tournament's round of 32.

The match-winner against Panama was 20-year-old Caleb Yirenkyi, who scored his first international goal in dramatic fashion, tapping in a Brandon Thomas-Asante cross in the 95th minute. The late strike not only secured three points but also gave Ghana a potentially critical advantage under new FIFA tiebreaker rules for the 2026 tournament. Head-to-head record now takes precedence over goal difference when teams finish level on points, meaning Ghana already holds the tiebreaker over Panama.