Speaking exclusively to Graphic Sports after last Friday’s draw in Washington, the former Anderlecht forward said the match-up presents Ghana with a historic opportunity to challenge — and defeat — their former colonial rulers on the global stage.

“I’m happy because I said before the draw that I wanted us to face England, and now we find ourselves in the same group with them. I’ve always felt we can match up with them,” Ahinful said.

The Black Stars have played England only once, a 2011 international friendly at Wembley in which Asamoah Gyan scored a late equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw.

Ahinful, however, cautioned that while England and Croatia — the other European team in Ghana’s group — would be tough opponents, Panama should be within Ghana’s reach.

“There is that historical colonial master’s mentality, so I think it is good. When it comes to Croatia, yes, they’re a good tournament team, but for Panama, we can always deal with them,” he remarked.

The ex-Ghana international stressed that beating England would depend heavily on how well the Black Stars prepare in the months leading up to the tournament.

“We can win, but it depends on how well Ghana prepares before the tournament. Getting out of the group is possible because in football everything is possible — if you have the luck, put your acts together and make sure your strategy works.”
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Ahinful, capped 59 times for Ghana with 11 goals, urged Coach Otto Addo and his technical team to focus on picking the right blend of players to form a formidable squad.

“At the end of the day, it’s up to the technical men handling the team to look at the right materials, pick them and blend them to have a strong side,” he stated.

He added that while the England team boast some of the biggest names in world football, star-power alone does not guarantee success. He recalled the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where the then second-ranked Czech Republic were outclassed by the Black Stars in a memorable 2-0 victory.

Ahinful also encouraged the technical team to widen their scouting network ahead of the competition.

“Coach Otto Addo should expand his scouting lenses so that between now and the start of the tournament, he can identify the right players and invite them to the national team,” he advised.