Ghanaian shaman on strike? Harry Kane failed to score in England’s World Cup draw
Harry Kane’s shock late failure in England’s FIFA World Cup goalless draw against Ghana has sparked fresh debate over an unusual pre-match claim by Ghanaian witch Nana Kwaku Bonsam.
Ghana fans then cheered Bonsam England drew 0-0 in Boston on Tuesday, with some supporters linking Kane’s frustrating night to the spiritualist’s claim that he placed a curse on the England captain ahead of the Group L match.
While witch tales hit 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 then entered the contest full of confidence started their campaign with a 4-2 win over Croatiawith Kane scoring twice. Another win would ensure qualification to the round of 32 with a game to spare.
Instead, Tuchel’s side dominated possession but failed to assert their dominance and settled for a draw that left both England and Ghana in Group L on four points. England remain top of the table on goal difference.
England controlled possession throughout the match but struggled to break down a disciplined Ghana side.
The European side finished the match with 78.8 percent possession, the highest by a team in a FIFA World Cup match without a goal since 1966.
Despite spending most of the evening on the front foot, England could not find the breakthrough that would guarantee them a place in the knockout stages.
Kane, who looked sharp against Croatia, was unable to inspire his side this time as Ghana held on to claim a valuable point.
KANE’S MISS STUNS ENGLAND
The decisive moment of the match came in the second half. As England pushed for a winner, Nico O’Reilly rose highest in the box to send a powerful header against the crossbar. The rebound fell kindly to Kane six yards from goal.
The Bayern Munich striker looked set to score. Instead, he flashed his effort over the bar in one of the tournament’s biggest misses to date.
The England supporters behind the goal could not believe what they were witnessing. Miss denied England victory and forced them to wait to secure qualification to the round of 32.
Harry Kane is scoreless after Ghanaian witch Nana Kwaku Bonsam claims to curse him:
“I’m working on Harry Kane. I’ll do my job so it can help Ghana.” pic.twitter.com/6ToRwULA6j— My Mixtapez (@mymixtapez) June 24, 2026
It also prevented Kane from surpassing 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 horror.
Soon after the match, attention shifted to Nana Kwaku Bonsam’s pre-kick-off comments. A Ghanaian spiritualist reportedly claimed to have 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 ensured the England captain did not find the net in the World Cup match.
Although there is no evidence to support the claim, Kane’s late miss quickly sparked debate on social media, with many Ghanaian supporters jokingly attributing the result to a witch.
The story gained further attention as Kane has rarely looked so wasteful in front of goal during his international career.
KANE REACTS TO TRUCK MISS
Kane admitted after the match that he expected to score from the opportunity.
“You go through plays like that. I was just out there waiting for that opportunity to come my way. It was a striker’s play where you’re just waiting for the ball to bounce. And it did. I just couldn’t get past the ball,” Kane said.
“But yeah, I back myself to score it more often than not. I’ve been a striker long enough to know they don’t always come on, so I have to accept that.”
Despite the setback, Kane insisted he will not dwell on the moment and will continue to back his goal.
THE WITCH DOCTOR OFFERS TO “FIRES” KANE
After the final whistle, the story took another twist. Bonsam later posted a video on Facebook in which he claimed he was now ready to “release” Kane so the England captain could score again later in the tournament.
“I’m the most powerful spiritualist in the world, now I’m going to release Harry Kane so he can score a goal in the next game,” Bonsam captioned 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’m coming to visit you ok we’re brothers I love you so much” he wrote. Whether the episode is seen as superstition, football folklore or simply a colorful side story, it has become one of the most unusual World Cup talking points to date.
England will now turn their attention to their final Group L game against Panama on June 27.
Kane, meanwhile, will be eager to put the miss behind him and help England secure a place in the knockout rounds.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
24 Jun 2026 11:48 IST