Harry Kane’s shocking late miss in England’s goalless FIFA World Cup draw against Ghana has fuelled fresh talk around an unusual pre-match claim made by Ghanaian witch doctor Nana Kwaku Bonsam.
Ghana fans have hailed Bonsam after England were held to a 0-0 draw in Boston on Tuesday, with some supporters linking Kane’s frustrating evening to the spiritualist’s claim that he had placed a curse on the England captain before the Group L clash.
While the witch doctor narrative gained traction on social media after the match, former England stars Jamie Carragher and Wayne Rooney pointed to Thomas Tuchel’s tactics and team selection as the real reasons behind England’s disappointing result.
England entered the contest full of confidence after opening their campaign with a 4-2 victory over Croatia, with Kane scoring twice. Another win would have secured qualification for the Round of 32 with a game to spare.
Instead, Tuchel’s side dominated possession but failed to make their superiority count, settling for a draw that left both England and Ghana on four points in Group L. England remain top of the standings on goal difference.
England controlled possession throughout the contest but struggled to break down a disciplined Ghana side.
The European side finished the match with 78.8 per cent possession, the highest by a team in a FIFA World Cup match without scoring since 1966.
Despite spending most of the evening on the front foot, England could not find the breakthrough that would have guaranteed their place in the knockout stage.
Kane, who had looked sharp against Croatia, was unable to inspire his side this time around as Ghana held firm to earn a valuable point.
KANE’S MISS STUNS ENGLAND
The defining moment of the match arrived late in the second half. With England pushing for a winner, Nico O’Reilly rose highest inside the box and sent a powerful header against the crossbar. The rebound fell kindly to Kane six yards from goal.
The Bayern Munich striker looked certain to score. Instead, he blazed his effort over the bar in one of the biggest misses of the tournament so far.
England supporters behind the goal could hardly believe what they had witnessed. The miss denied England victory and forced them to wait to secure qualification for the Round of 32.
It also prevented Kane from moving past Gary Lineker’s England World Cup record of 10 goals. The striker was left standing with his hands on his head as Ghana celebrated surviving the scare.
Soon after the match, attention shifted to comments made by Nana Kwaku Bonsam before kick-off. The Ghanaian spiritualist had reportedly claimed he had placed a curse on Kane to prevent him from scoring against Ghana.
A post by African Facts Zone on X quoted Bonsam as saying he had ensured the England captain would not find the net in the World Cup encounter.
While there is no evidence to support the claim, Kane’s late miss quickly fuelled discussion on social media, with many Ghanaian supporters jokingly crediting the witch doctor for the result.
The story gained further traction because Kane had rarely looked so wasteful in front of goal during his international career.
KANE REACTS TO COSTLY MISS
Kane admitted after the match that he expected to score from the opportunity.
“You go through games like that. I was just there waiting for an opportunity like that to fall my way. It was kind of a game as a striker that you’re just waiting for the ball to bounce. And it did. I just couldn’t quite get over the ball,” Kane said.
“But, yeah, I’m backing myself to score that more often than not. I’ve been a striker long enough to know they don’t always go in, so I have to accept it.”
Despite the miss, Kane insisted he would not dwell on the moment and would continue backing himself in front of goal.
WITCH DOCTOR OFFERS TO ‘RELEASE’ KANE
The story took another twist after the final whistle. Bonsam later posted a video on Facebook in which he claimed he was now prepared to “release” Kane so that the England captain could score again later in the tournament.
“I am the most powerful spiritualist in the whole world now I am going to release Harry Kane so that his next match he can score a goal,” Bonsam wrote alongside the three-minute video.
In the clip, he appeared to perform rituals while speaking. The Ghanaian also expressed his affection for Kane and suggested he would like to meet him in person.
“Harry I will come and visit you ok we are brothers I love you soo much,” he wrote. Whether viewed as superstition, football folklore or simply a colourful side story, the episode has become one of the most unusual talking points of the World Cup so far.
England will now turn their attention to their final Group L fixture against Panama on June 27.
Kane, meanwhile, will be eager to put the miss behind him and help England secure their place in the knockout rounds.
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