Asamoah Gyan backs England as Group L favourites – but insists Ghana “just have to qualify”
In a quiet corner of New York, far from the noise that will greet Ghana in June, Asamoah Gyan laid it out plainly. England are the team to beat in Group L. Ghana’s job is to make sure they’re still standing when the dust settles.
The Black Stars have been drawn alongside England, Croatia and Panama, with their World Cup campaign set to open against Panama on June 17 before a headline clash with England on June 23. The draw has already stirred memories and expectations, and nobody embodies that mix quite like Gyan – Ghana’s all-time leading scorer at the FIFA World Cup and Africa’s record marksman on the biggest stage with six goals.
Speaking at the unveiling of Ghana’s World Cup jersey by PUMA in New York, the former captain didn’t try to downplay the challenge.
“We are playing against England, we are in the same group. You know, on paper, England of course, one of the best in the world right now,” he said, acknowledging the weight of the Three Lions’ reputation.
The hype around that fixture is inevitable. Ghana versus England carries history, narrative, and a sense of unfinished business. Yet Gyan was careful to steer the conversation away from a single glamour tie and back towards the bigger picture.
“You know but people are optimistic about that game. To play against England. I'm not thinking about playing England, I just want Ghana to qualify from the group stage to go to the next stage of the competition, so we'll see what happens. But Ghana against England is going to be a very, very good game.”
That last line felt less like a prediction and more like a promise.
Memories of Wembley and a late sting
When Gyan talks about England, it comes from experience, not theory. He has already scarred them once.
In 2011, under the Wembley lights, Andy Carroll had put England ahead in an international friendly. The script looked tidy for the hosts. Then, deep into the game, Gyan tore it up. A late, composed finish brought Ghana level at 1-1 and sent the travelling support into delirium. It was a goal that crystallised his status as a big‑moment player and etched his name a little deeper into Ghanaian football folklore.
That night still lingers in the background as Ghana prepare to meet England again, this time with far higher stakes. The setting will be different, the squads renewed, but the memory of Gyan’s equaliser underlines why no one in England will be taking the Black Stars lightly.
A record-holder who wants to be overtaken
Gyan’s place in African World Cup history is secure. Six goals. No African player has scored more at the tournament. It is the sort of record many would cling to. He doesn’t.
“For me, records are set to be broken. So, personally I count myself lucky to be at that level, to score six goals in World Cup history. The only African to score six goals in World Cup history. And yes, the record is there to be broken. So I wish this new generation well, to perform so well. One might come up and break the record.”
There was no false modesty in that reflection, just a veteran’s calm acceptance. He knows what it takes to deliver on that stage: the pressure, the scrutiny, the thin margins between hero and scapegoat. His hope now is that someone from this new Ghanaian group not only matches his numbers but goes beyond them.
The message to the dressing room is clear: the bar is high, but it is not untouchable.
PUMA, partnership and a shared journey
The event in New York was about more than tactics and group permutations. It was a celebration of a long-running partnership. PUMA has been Ghana’s kit sponsor since 2008, a constant presence through World Cup highs and heartbreaks.
“PUMA has been our main sponsor for more than a decade. In Ghana, and a World Cup year to have the national team jerseys and everything, and I'm very happy to be a part of it,” Gyan said.
“Personally when I was playing, I was working with PUMA so I know what PUMA has done for me and what PUMA is doing for my country as well, and other countries. So I'm here for PUMA.”
For Gyan, the brand is woven into his own story: the shirts he wore for his World Cup goals, the boots that carried him through defining moments, the visibility it gave Ghana on the global stage. For the current squad, the new jersey is both a fresh start and a reminder of the standard set before them.
England may arrive as favourites in Group L. Croatia will bring their familiar resilience. Panama will fight to spoil the script. Gyan has seen all of this before in different forms. His verdict cuts through the noise: recognise the giants, respect the group, then find a way out of it.
Ghana’s task is simple to say and far harder to execute – turn optimism into qualification, and give this new generation the platform to chase down even the records of their greatest striker.
