Former referee Darren Cann - who officiated in the Premier League and Champions League during his career - has delivered a strong verdict on an incident in England's goalless World Cup draw with Ghana that saw Ezri Konsa bring down an opponent in the penalty area. After the final whistle, much of the discussion centred on the Three Lions' lacklustre attacking display.
It was a complete contrast to last week, when Harry Kane and his fellow forwards tore Croatia apart in a 4-2 opening victory. But for the fourth major tournament in a row, England failed to win their second match, quickly bringing the feel-good factor back down to earth. Kane had just three touches in the opposition box on Tuesday night, while England largely lost the midfield battle, with some fans singling out Jude Bellingham for criticism .
However, not enough attention was paid to the fact that Thomas Tuchel's side may have been fortunate to escape with even a point. It was only after the match had concluded that analysts focussed on an incident late on in which Ghana could easily have been awarded a penalty, despite a VAR check not even being recommended at the time.
England were denied an opportunity to make it two wins from two at the 2026 World Cup against a hard-working Ghana side.
Former Referee Casts Verdict on Possible Ghana Penalty
As Prince Kwabena Adu beared down on Dean Henderson's goal, the Aston Villa defender appeared to jump, both footed, before lunging into a reckless challenge to stop him. Analysing the moment for the BBC, Cann said (watch the incident below) :
"We had our hearts in our mouths when we saw Ezri Konsa make that challenge. As an England fan, I'm absolutely delighted it wasn't given. But I have to be honest, this should have been referred to the referee.
"Konsa makes no contact at all with the ball, he brings down his opponent. He's airborne, he's out of control, he makes contact with the attacker and no contact with the ball. For me, this is a penalty kick."
He continued: "In this tournament, most of the time, they've gone with the on-field decision. In general, they'll stick with the on-field decision unless it's clearly, clearly wrong."
England Brought Down To Earth By Ghana
Heat may or may not have played its part in Boston this week. But regardless of the conditions, Tuesday night's action will serve as a wake-up call to England in the fact that they still don't look like a finished product early into this summer's tournament.
While last week, questions were asked about the defence that leaked two goals with ease and ensured Croatia always had belief in the match, this week has shone light on Tuchel's attacking options. It also suggested his options from the bench aren't as strong as other nations, with none of them making a result-altering impact.
Next week, against rock bottom Panama, the mission will be to strike a perfect balance. They are heavy favourites to dispatch their Latin AMerican opponents with relative ease to finish top of Group L, but nothing should be taken for granted.
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