TORONTO, ONTARIO - JUNE 17: Antoine Semenyo #11 of Ghana celebrates the team's first goal scored by Caleb Yirenkyi #3 (not pictured) during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group L match between Ghana and Panama at Toronto Stadium on June 17, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Ezra Shaw - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
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England would be wrong to solely focus on Antoine Semenyo on Tuesday in Boston. However, the statistics show that if they do exactly that, they will have a better chance of beating Ghana and topping Group L.
The explosive Manchester City attacker has arrived at the World Cup on the back of a 21-goal season with Pep Guardiola's Carabao Cup and FA Cup winners and previous club Bournemouth.
Now, he's tasked with exposing England right-back Reece James, which is a tough ask despite the Chelsea defender still building his fitness after a late-season injury.
With Mohammed Kudus absent, the crux of Ghana's attacking burden, particularly where chance creation and scoring goals is concerned, falls on Semenyo.
In some respects, that's not a bad thing for Carlos Quieroz's side because - according to supercomputer Machine Football's analysis - he is ranked in the top 1% in world football for finishing and ranks equally highly for his attacking contribution. Semenyo's ability to carry the ball from wide areas, drive inside and create shooting opportunities is a key part of Ghana's attack.
England head coach Thomas Tuchel has already spoken about expecting "more ball possession" against Ghana than Croatia, explaining: "I expect Ghana to rely on counterattacks because they are very physical, very fast and dangerous in counter-attacks."
Semenyo is the player most likely to turn a Ghana transition into a chance. The match-up with James is interesting because of the different strengths involved.
James, who is effectively a playmaker at full-back, has strong defensive numbers and will embrace the opportunity to lock up the City winger in a duel which could shape the flow of the game.
England's stars will not need reminding that Semenyo is a live-wire that possesses the sharpness to hurt you from any area within the final third.
If he's on James' side as expected, it will shape up to be quite the battle between the two as the Three Lions right-back also likes to step into midfield.
He will have to be careful of doing that because Semenyo has the speed and directness to exploit space quickly and he doesn't need any invitation to rattle off shots.
Antoine Semenyo of Ghana at the World Cup
Antoine Semenyo is Ghana's danger man at the World Cup
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James is not an elite one-versus-one defender in open space, with his defending built more around positioning, anticipation and engaging attackers before they can build momentum. Against players who prefer combination play in tighter areas, that approach is often highly effective.
As a playmaking full-back, Machine Football's analytics have him a one of the top three Premier League right backs of his profile. He is in the top 87.29th percentile for tackling, 95.84 for positioning and 96.99 for creativity, making him one of the most well-round right-backs in world football.
Noni Madueke will chip in defensively but his defensive work rate is not as high as Anthony Gordon on the other flank, which is partially why James, who knows Madueke's game well from their time together at Chelsea, might be reluctant to go bursting forward.
Semenyo's game is based on power, direct running and attacking space quickly. If he receives possession early and can drive at James, the duel becomes much more difficult for the England full-back.
If England lose possession with James advanced, there can be space in the channel behind him for Ghana to attack.
The Thomas Partey influence
That possibility of an unleashed Semenyo driving at England's centre-backs becomes more likely if Thomas Partey starts in midfield.
The former Arsenal man missed Ghana's opener against Panama after Canadian officials refused him entry to the country.
The 33-year-old is due to stand trial next year after pleading not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault between 2020 and 2022.
Without him, Ghana's biggest issue against Panama was progressing the ball quickly enough into attacking areas, particularly through early forward passes into wide channels.
Semenyo played the full 108 minutes and finished with one shot, no successful dribbles, two fouls committed and an 80% pass completion rate from just 20 passes - a very low level of involvement in attacking areas.
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He still contributed defensively, recording seven recoveries and winning five defensive duels, but much of his work came away from goal. Despite being one of Ghana's most dangerous attacking players, he had limited opportunities to influence the game in the final third.
Jordan Ayew's performance followed a similar pattern. In 93 minutes he had zero shots, completed 11 passes at 63% accuracy and lost possession 16 times.
The underlying issue was the absence of a midfielder able to receive under pressure, turn and play forward quickly before Panama could recover their defensive shape.
That is where Thomas Partey's profile stands out.
His performance in the Black Stars’ 2-1 defeat to Germany in March offered a similar picture. Partey completed 39 passes, produced 13 forward passes and recorded nine progressive passes, the highest total of any player on the pitch.
For Ghana, the ideal scenario is straightforward: win the ball, find Semenyo early and attack the space behind England's right side before the defensive structure resets. For England, the priority is preventing those situations from developing in the first place.
How often Semenyo is able to receive the ball in those positions may go a long way towards determining Ghana's attacking threat.
If England are able to win, they will top Group L and that would mean Thomas Tuchel could afford to rest James and Co against Panama in New Jersey.
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