Declan Rice warns of Partey and Semenyo's quality ahead of Ghana game

England midfielder Declan Rice has stated that his side is prepared to face the Black Stars, acknowledging the quality of their players and the challenge they present.

He noted that he has played with Thomas Partey and recognized his quality, which he believes will make the game tough as England battles for glory.

The Arsenal midfielder indicated that he expects a difficult contest but is confident England will emerge as winners.

England players to shake hands with Thomas Partey - Thomas Tuchel hints

“As you mentioned Thomas, I’ve played with him at Arsenal, he’s a really good player. I’ve also played against many of the Ghana team, and from the clips we’ve studied, I know what they’re going to bring: strength, pace, and the counter-attack. We need to be ready for everything. Having faced many of these players before, I already know what’s coming tomorrow,” he said.

Rice added that the Three Lions need to approach the game with the same momentum they had against Croatia, while being cautious of Antoine Semenyo’s threat in the final third.

“We know as players that tomorrow we have to build on our second-half performance the other night. We’re coming up against Antoine Semenyo, and we’ve watched their last two games. They’ve had a managerial change, so things are a bit different, but we’ve prepared for them as we would for any other team. They’re a real threat with very good players, and if we’re not at 100%, we can be punished. We know what’s at stake tomorrow,” he added.

After England’s 4-2 win against Croatia, the Three Lions lead Group L with three points, alongside Ghana, while Panama and Croatia sit third and fourth with zero points after the first round of matches.

Any team that wins the game secures automatic qualification to the Round of 32.

Watch the videos below:

🎥 🇬🇭 “Thomas Partey is a really good player. I played with him at Arsenal. I’ve also played against a lot of the Ghana players, and I know they are going to catch us out on counter-attacks.”

England midfielder Declan Rice on facing the Black Stars at the World Cup 🤔

(Credit:… pic.twitter.com/nwZVJ9kZur

— Citi Sports (@CitiSportsGHA) June 23, 2026

🎥 🇬🇭 “Ghana is a real threat, and we are preparing for them like any other team. They have quality players, and we know if we’re not at 100%, we can be punished.”

— England midfielder Declan Rice on facing Antoine Semenyo and the Black Stars at the World Cup.🤔#CitiSports… pic.twitter.com/3hpsdtzbt1

— Citi Sports (@CitiSportsGHA) June 23, 2026