A Ghanaian witch doctor’s curse is drawing attention online during England's World Cup campaign after Harry Kane's scoreless outing against Ghana.
England and Ghana played to a 0-0 draw on Tuesday (June 23) in one of the most surprising results of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage. While England controlled possession and created chances, Kane was unable to find the back of the net, including a late opportunity that many fans expected him to convert.
Following the match, social media users revived comments made by Ghanaian spiritual leader Nana Kwaku Bonsam, who had publicly predicted before kickoff that Kane would not score against Ghana.
As clips of Kane's missed chance circulated online, some Ghana supporters jokingly credited Bonsam for the striker's quiet performance, helping the witch doctor’s comments trend across social media.
Not everyone was buying into the supernatural explanation, however.
Some analysts instead pointed to England's tactical approach under manager Thomas Tuchel and Ghana's disciplined defensive setup. Despite enjoying 79 percent possession, England failed to score, becoming the first team in six decades of World Cup play to dominate possession to that extent without finding the net.
Kane, who scored twice in England's previous victory over Croatia, struggled to make his usual impact. According to match statistics, the Bayern Munich striker recorded just 19 touches during the game, his fewest in a major tournament match for England when playing the full 90 minutes.
The result ended England's 12-match winning streak and marked the first time the Three Lions failed to win a competitive match since October 2024.
For Ghana, the draw was a major achievement. The Black Stars have now avoided defeat in their opening two World Cup matches for only the second time in the nation's history. The last time the team accomplished that feat was during the 2010 tournament, when they advanced all the way to the quarterfinals.
The match also produced several other milestones. England registered its 13th scoreless draw in World Cup history, the most of any nation, while Jude Bellingham became the youngest English player ever to reach 50 international appearances at 22 years and 359 days old.
Meanwhile, defender Marc Guéhi set a statistical benchmark by completing 125 passes, the most by an England player in a World Cup match since records started being tracked in 1966.
