England international Eberechi Eze has lauded his teammate Bukayo Saka, describing the Arsenal forward as a "special player" as he aims for his inaugural World Cup start against Panama this Saturday. Saka has made substitute appearances in England's initial two fixtures, having arrived at the tournament managing an Achilles injury that affected the latter part of his club season.
The 22-year-old showcased his attacking prowess during a brief but vibrant cameo in the goalless draw with Ghana, coming close to scoring. With Noni Madueke reportedly struggling to make a significant impact, a starting role at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey could now be within Saka’s grasp. Eze believes Saka’s distinctive talent could be crucial in dismantling what is anticipated to be another defensively organised Central American side.
"He’s an incredibly talented player, and his level of understanding of the game is insane," Eze commented. "I feel like he’s a player who makes the right decision a lot of the time, and he’s so effective, so efficient. I enjoy playing with him a lot, because you always know what you’re going to get from him, you can always link up with him and he’s a fun player to play with."
Eze attributed Saka’s exceptional decision-making to his ongoing development. "I’d say his decision-making is just experience and his learning growing up. I feel like that’s something that he’s probably worked on from a young age, and when you’re just seeing it now, we see it in the high stage. It’s definitely a difficult skill to cultivate, so he is a special player."
England will be looking to secure a victory over Panama to conclude Group L, which would guarantee them top spot and a last-32 tie against a third-placed team from another group. Matching or surpassing Ghana’s result against Croatia would also achieve this. Despite the disappointing draw with Ghana in Boston, Eze maintains that the team’s focus remains unwavering. "I don’t think it makes a difference for us personally," he affirmed. "I feel like we’ll set out to win regardless, so going into the game with the same mentality, the same focus, you’re not going to drop your focus regardless of it being the last game. We’ve got the same goal, the same aim, and we’ll be going to achieve that."