The Phobians shot-stopper is expected to step in for the injured goalkeeper as Black Stars hope to shock England and the entire football world on Tuesday
Ghana will play England without first-choice goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi after he picked up an injury in the 1-0 victory over Panama on opening day of Group L at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, GhanaSportsCentral.com can confirm.
Ati-Zigi clashed with a Panama player in the first half on Wednesday, prompting the technical team to make a quick change after the break while the game was goalless. In his absence, Hearts of Oak goalkeeper Benjamin ‘SM’ Asare filled the void, manning the post and preventing the South American country from hitting the back of the net.
After the game, the medical team did further checks on him and it has been revealed that Ati-Zigi suffered what is believed to be a ‘tear one’ hamstring injury. As a result, he is expected to be in the treatment room for at least three weeks.
With both England and Ghana picking wins in their first game, another victory for any of them will mean they have automatically secured qualification to the next stage of the competition.
On Saturday, Ati-Zigi sat out of the training session at Rhode Island with Asare, Joseph Annang and standby goalkeeper Solomon Agbasi completed the routine with goalkeepers coach Gasper.
