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 favourites. Ghana are not afraid.
The Black Stars’ all-time World Cup top scorer was speaking at the unveiling of Ghana’s World Cup jersey by long-time kit sponsor PUMA, but the conversation quickly moved from fabric and design to the harsh realities of Group L.
Ghana have been drawn with England, Croatia and Panama. It is a group with pedigree, pitfalls and a familiar storyline: Ghana cast as the dangerous outsider.
“You know, on paper, England of course, one of the best in the world right now,” Gyan told PUMA in New York, acknowledging what everyone else is thinking. England bring depth, form and reputation. They also bring history.
Ghana will not meet them first. The campaign opens on June 17 against Panama, a fixture Ghana simply cannot afford to treat as a warm-up. Six days later, on June 23, comes the headline act: Ghana vs England. The game everyone circles. The one Gyan knows will dominate the build-up.
Yet he refuses to be drawn into the drama too early.
“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,” he said. The message is clear: the obsession with England cannot derail the bigger mission.
The confidence is not empty. Gyan carries his own piece of history against the Three Lions. In 2011 at Wembley, in an international friendly that felt anything but, Andy Carroll put England ahead. Ghana chased, harried, refused to go quietly. Deep into the game, Gyan found the equaliser, a late, curling finish that silenced home fans and sent the away end into delirium. It finished 1-1, but for Ghana, and for Gyan, it felt like a statement.
That night still lingers in the memory and adds a layer of intrigue to the looming group clash. This time, the stakes are real. This time, there is no room for romanticism. Yet Gyan’s voice carries the calm of someone who has lived the World Cup at full volume.
He is not just Ghana’s World Cup record scorer. With six goals, he stands alone as Africa’s all-time leading marksman on the biggest stage. That status could easily make a man cling to his numbers. Gyan does the opposite.
“For me, records are set to be broken,” he said, almost brushing aside the personal glory. “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 is no trace of insecurity in that wish. It sounds more like a challenge to the dressing room that will pull on the shirt he helped define: go further, score more, carry the story on.
That shirt, once again, bears the PUMA logo. The partnership, which began in 2008, has run through some of Ghana’s most vivid modern football moments – from the heartbreaks to the near-miracles. Gyan knows that timeline better than most.
“PUMA has been our main sponsor for more than a decade,” he 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.”
The new kit launch in New York was designed as a celebration, a showcase. Yet the subtext was unmistakable: another World Cup cycle, another chance for Ghana to punch above their supposed weight, another opportunity for a new hero to emerge in PUMA colours.
England will arrive as favourites. Croatia will bring their hardened tournament core. Panama will fight for respect. Somewhere in that mix, Ghana must carve out a path.
Gyan has stepped away from the pitch, but his words still carry into the dressing room. Don’t fear the favourites. Don’t get lost in the hype of one fixture. Qualify. Then see who dares to stand in the way.
