Ghana are optimistic that goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi will be fit to face England in their World Cup Group L match on Tuesday in Boston, after scans revealed his groin injury is less severe than initially feared.
Injury Scare Against Panama
The 29-year-old St. Gallen shot-stopper sustained the injury during Ghana's 1-0 victory over Panama, after making several crucial saves in the first half. He was replaced by Benjamin Asare at half-time but has since returned to light training.
Goalkeeper coach Daniel Gaspar confirmed the positive outlook: "We're extremely happy with his progress. It's day by day. Obviously, this is a medical issue collaborated with head coach Carlos Queiroz, so we'll take it session by session. We're optimistic, and the decision will be made at the right time."
Team Ethic Over Individual
Gaspar emphasised the team's collective approach: "One thing is for sure, we always stress the team above the individual. Any decision we make is in the best interest of the team."
Ghana kept a clean sheet against Panama, but face a much tougher test against England, who scored four goals past Croatia in their opener. Coach Carlos Queiroz, a former Manchester United assistant, has brought a fourth goalkeeper, Solomon Agbasi, for training purposes.
Preparing for England's Threat
Gaspar detailed the preparation: "Obviously, England is one of the best teams in the world. They have certain characteristics and a style of play, and we're exposing our goalkeepers to those conditions. We're preparing them not only for the timing of catching and boxing, but also the physical challenge they'll face."
He added: "I'm extremely pleased with the goalkeepers we have. We have four, and sometimes there's speculation about why four goalkeepers. The reason is that coach Carlos Queiroz likes to do a lot of finishing and crossing drills, and it's important we have four so they can rotate. There's less repetition for each of them, which keeps them healthy and sharp."
Opposition Analysis
Gaspar stressed the importance of tailored preparation: "Panama is different to England. England will be different to Croatia. We analyse each opponent, identify their dangerous players and attacking patterns, then incorporate that into training."
Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo poses the biggest threat to England's defence, but Ghana also have dangerous outlets in Kamaldeen Sulemana and Ernest Nuamah, despite the absence of Tottenham's injured winger Mohammed Kudus.
