Asamoah Gyan believes Antoine Semenyo carries the weight of Ghana's World Cup ambitions on his shoulders — and the Black Stars legend insists how the Manchester City forward handles that pressure will define his country's tournament.

Speaking to Sky Sports at PUMA's 'Rolling Nations' kit launch event in New York, Gyan was candid about the scrutiny awaiting Semenyo this summer.

"Everything is going to depend on Antoine Semenyo for this World Cup. He's the face of Ghana football right now because of his position and what he has done for himself."

Semenyo moved to Manchester City in January from Bournemouth, where he had scored 10 Premier League goals with three assists in the first half of the season. The transition to the Etihad Stadium proved seamless — he added seven more league goals, finished as the third-highest scorer in the top flight, and delivered the winning goal against Chelsea in the FA Cup final.

Gyan acknowledged that playing for one of Europe's elite clubs raises expectations at international level. "When you're playing for one of the best teams in the world and you come into the national team, there will be a lot of expectations," he said. "He hasn't been under that kind of pressure with the national team before he made that huge transfer."

A turbulent build-up

The road to the World Cup has not been straightforward for Ghana. Otto Addo was sacked following a March international break in which the Black Stars lost friendlies to Germany and Austria. Carlos Queiroz — who has managed Iran at three consecutive World Cups and previously coached Manchester United — was appointed as head coach in April.

Ghana have not recorded a win since sealing their place in the tournament, where they topped their qualifying group. The contrast between their World Cup campaign and their failure to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year has not gone unnoticed — even by Gyan himself.

"Sometimes it's a bit confusing how we didn't qualify for AFCON and then we did so well in the World Cup qualification. In the AFCON qualifiers, it was a big disaster — we didn't play to our level. But in the World Cup qualifiers, we played so well, so it's a fair result."

England await in Boston

Ghana face England, Panama, and Croatia in Group L, with the clash against England set for June 23 in Boston — a fixture that excites every Ghanaian supporter.

"For every fan in Ghana, that is the game they want to win," Gyan said. "England against Ghana is a cracker. Everybody is going to be up for that game."

The two nations have met just once before — a friendly at Wembley in March 2011, when Gyan himself scored a late equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw. The memory clearly still resonates with him.

"It was even one of my best games for Ghana and I scored in the last minute. It was a great moment. When the World Cup draw was made, I saw the game in my mind."

Ghana will need all three points from that encounter if they are to progress from a demanding group — and with Semenyo in form, Gyan has reason to believe his country can deliver.