Jamie O’Hara was left fuming with Jordan Pickford and his England teammates after their lackluster goalless draw against Ghana in World Cup 2026 action.
The Three Lions turned in a disjointed performance in Tuesday’s Group I clash in Boston, struggling for rhythm and creativity throughout. Their clearest opportunity came late when Nico O’Reilly struck the crossbar and Harry Kane blazed the rebound over.
Pickford had little to do for most of the match, as Ghana sat deep and defensive, managing just a single shot on target. Still, the 32-year-old Everton keeper found himself in a few shaky moments that could have proved costly on another day.
One sequence, in particular, had O’Hara and his Sports Bar co-hosts Jason Cundy and Carlton Cole shouting in disbelief.
O’Hara erupts as Pickford dodges disaster
Pickford was fortunate to escape punishment after racing off his line and colliding with Prince Adu at Gillette Stadium. The drama escalated with just over ten minutes left when Adu overpowered Eberechi Eze, charged toward goal, and appeared to have a strong case for a foul by Ezri Konsa.
Pickford didn’t help matters, failing to cut out Adu’s run or secure the loose ball as England scrambled inside their own box.
Watching on talkSPORT, an incensed O’Hara shouted: “What are we doing? What is Jordan Pickford doing? He’s run past the ball twice. Can someone tell me what Jordan Pickford is up to?”
Queiroz questions VAR after penalty controversy
Ghana boss Carlos Queiroz didn’t hold back after the match, questioning why his side weren’t awarded a penalty. While acknowledging Ghana hadn’t done enough to win, the Portuguese manager felt aggrieved by the decision.
Quoted by BBC Sport, Queiroz said: “I’m not sure VAR is still working in the World Cup. We still have VAR? It’s working? I have some doubts about that because another penalty that they need give to Ghana, a clear penalty against England [was missed]. They’re lucky. They’re very lucky. It was a clear penalty, red card. You have any doubts about that? You guys who saw the game have any doubts about that or is it only me that was in the game?”
Despite the flat display, England remain in a strong position with four points from two games. They close out the group stage against Panama on Saturday, where they’ll be heavy favorites—and Pickford will surely hope for a calmer outing.
