Ghana moved within touching distance of the FIFA World Cup Round of 32 after a disciplined defensive performance earned the Black Stars a valuable 0-0 draw against tournament favourites England in Group L.

The result leaves Ghana unbeaten after two matches, having opened their campaign with victory over Panama before frustrating the Three Lions in a hard-fought encounter. A draw in their final group match against Croatia on Saturday, June 27, will be enough to secure qualification to the knockout stage.

England dominated possession for large periods of the contest but found Ghana’s defensive structure difficult to break down. Goalkeeper Asare was outstanding between the posts, making crucial saves to deny Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka as the Black Stars stood firm.

The Three Lions increased the pressure in the second half after introducing Eberechi Eze, Morgan Rogers and Marcus Rashford, but Ghana continued to defend resolutely. Their best opportunity came through Prince Adu, whose effort was blocked after a swift counterattack, while Marvin Senaya also tested the English defence.

England came closest to breaking the deadlock in the closing stages when Saka forced a save from Asare before Liam O’Reilly struck the crossbar. Kane blasted the rebound over the bar, summing up a frustrating evening for Gareth Southgate’s side.

The goalless draw leaves qualification from Group L delicately poised heading into the final round of fixtures, with England facing Panama while Ghana takes on Croatia. Both Ghana and Croatia require only a draw to advance to the next phase.

Meanwhile, Group K witnessed heartbreak for DR Congo, who suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia despite another heroic display from goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi-Nzau.

The Leopards entered the match encouraged by their impressive 1-1 draw against Portugal in the tournament opener and were boosted by the presence of iconic super fan “Lumumba,” who made his World Cup debut in the stands. The passionate supporter remained on his feet throughout the entire 90 minutes plus six minutes of added time, but unfortunately witnessed his side fall to their first defeat of the competition.

Colombia dominated possession from the outset and created several early chances. Daniel Muñoz had a goal ruled out for offside inside the opening ten minutes before Mpasi-Nzau began producing a string of outstanding saves to keep the Africans in the contest.

The DR Congo goalkeeper was particularly impressive in the first half, denying James Rodríguez and repeatedly dealing with dangerous deliveries into the penalty area as Colombia piled on the pressure.

After a goalless first half, Colombia continued to probe and finally found the breakthrough in the 75th minute. Muñoz, who had already seen one goal disallowed, struck a powerful right-footed effort to beat Mpasi-Nzau and hand the Cafeteros a deserved lead.

Luis Díaz thought he had doubled Colombia’s advantage five minutes later, only for his effort to be ruled out, giving DR Congo renewed hope. The Congolese pushed forward in search of an equaliser during six minutes of stoppage time, even winning a late corner after another excellent save from Camilo Vargas, but Colombia held firm to secure all three points.

The victory sends Colombia through to the Round of 32, while DR Congo’s qualification hopes will now depend on the final round of Group K fixtures.

With Ghana on the verge of progression and DR Congo still battling for survival, Africa’s representatives continue to make their presence felt on football’s biggest stage.