Kane blazes over the bar to leave England held by Ghana in World Cup stalemate

Harry Kane blazed over an open goal in the closing minutes as England were held to a goalless draw by Ghana in their World Cup Group L match in Boston on Tuesday, a miss that left watching legend David Beckham burying his head in his hands.

The result is England’s second of the tournament after their opening 4-2 demolition of Croatia, and while Thomas Tuchel’s side remain at the top of the group, the performance drew jeers from England supporters who were left deflated by a toothless display.

Ghana defended with extraordinary discipline throughout, sitting deep and making it clear from the first whistle that a point was their primary objective. England struggled to break them down, and the clearest opening only arrived in the final moments. Nico O’Reilly rattled the crossbar with a header, and the rebound fell perfectly for Kane — who had scored twice against Croatia and netted 60 goals for Bayern Munich last season — only for the striker to send his shot well over the bar.

Beckham, present in the stadium, could barely watch. The reaction of the former England captain captured the mood of an entire fanbase that had expected Kane, one of the most prolific strikers in the world, to convert.

Kane was candid in his assessment afterwards. “You go through games like that,” he told BBC Sport. “I was waiting for an opportunity like that to fall my way, and it was a game as a striker where you are just waiting for the ball to bounce. It did, and I just couldn’t quite get over the ball. Yeah, I’d back myself to score that more often than not, but it is what it is, and I’ve been a striker long enough to know they don’t always go in, so I have to accept it.”

Despite the frustration, Kane struck a measured tone on England’s group position. “Look, we wanted the win, but we take the point, and we’re still in a great position in the group,” he said.

The evening was not without its other flashpoints. Jude Bellingham was involved in a heated confrontation with the Ghana coaching staff at half-time, though he was still awarded Player of the Match despite failing to produce the decisive moment England needed. Bukayo Saka also saw a long-range left-footed effort kept out before Kane’s miss proved the defining moment.

England were also fortunate not to concede a penalty in the second half, an incident that could have significantly altered the complexion of the group. Tuchel acknowledged the difficulty of the match. “I knew it would be a difficult game,” the England manager said. “I hardly saw a team defend so physical and so committed like Ghana did.”

England’s next group fixture will determine whether Tuesday’s dropped points prove costly.