England could not break down a resolute Ghana defence on Tuesday, settling for a 0-0 stalemate in their second Group L encounter at the World Cup. The result leaves both sides well positioned to advance to the knockout stages.

The draw is a letdown for Thomas Tuchel’s squad after they opened the tournament with a 4-2 victory over Croatia.

Ghana, who snatched a last-gasp 1-0 win against Panama in their group opener, made their intentions clear from kick-off by sitting deep to nullify England’s attacking threats.

Under a steady drizzle, the English side failed to carve out clear-cut opportunities as Ghanaian defenders constantly swarmed captain Harry Kane and any player who ventured into dangerous areas.

The first 45 minutes marked the first half of this World Cup where neither team managed a single shot on target.

England manager Thomas Tuchel had warned beforehand that Ghana would be well drilled by Carlos Queiroz, who is coaching in his fifth World Cup and boasts extensive experience of English football after two spells as an assistant at Manchester United.

Ghana threatened on the counter-attack through the pace of Antoine Semenyo and substitute Prince Kwabena Adu.

But England wasted the best chance of the match in the 86th minute when Nico O’Reilly’s header struck the crossbar and Kane fired the rebound over the bar.

“I couldn’t quite control the ball,” said Kane. “But look, I back myself to score most of the time. It happens. I’ve been a striker long enough to know they don’t all go in, so I have to accept it.”

Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz praised his team for executing the game plan designed to frustrate England.

“I am so proud of the way our players fought throughout the match and their commitment to the plan,” he said.