Several English football pundits and former players have argued that the Black Stars should have been awarded a penalty during their 2026 FIFA World Cup goalless draw against England.
The controversial moment happened late in the match when Prince Adu entered the penalty area and appeared to be brought down by Ezri Konsa. Replays appeared to show Konsa making contact with Adu’s knee without touching the ball.
The referee did not award a penalty, and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) did not intervene.
Former Wayne Rooney said England were fortunate to escape the decision.
“I think that’s a penalty. Konsa takes a huge risk. His feet are off the floor when he comes flying in and he gets the man, not the ball. That could easily have been given, in my view. On another day, that could have been a penalty.”
Former Micah Richards also believed Ghana could have received a spot-kick.
“England were chasing the game, trying to score, but you still need that protection behind you. On another day, that could have been a penalty.”
Jamie Carragher said Ghana were unlucky not to get the decision.
“It’s actually a decent point because Ghana were unlucky not to have been awarded a penalty. With Panama to come, England are 99 percent certain to win the group.”
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright also suggested VAR could have created a serious problem for England.
“I thought we were fortunate with that Konsa challenge. At first, I thought he must be offside, but Stuart said he was miles onside. If they had looked at that, we were in trouble. Pickford missed the ball completely and could have been off. I think we got away with that one.”
Gary Neville was even more direct, saying:
“The Konsa one, I thought it was 100% a penalty.”
Manchester United fan and YouTuber Mark Goldbridge also shared his opinion on X, writing:
“Ghana should have had a penalty tbf.”
The draw leaves Ghana in a strong position in Group L as they continue their push for a place in the knockout stage.
