Ghana’s Black Stars ended a run of four consecutive defeats after coming from Cardiff City Stadium with a 1-1 draw against Wales in an international friendly on Tuesday.
The result marked Carlos Queiroz’s first game in charge of the Black Stars as preparations continue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Wales dominated large spells of the opening half and were denied an early breakthrough by Lawrence Ati-Zigi, who produced a brilliant save to tip Dan James’ header onto the post in the 11th minute.
Three minutes later, James rattled the crossbar with a volley as the hosts piled on the pressure.
Despite Wales’ dominance, Ghana should have taken the lead midway through the first half when Jordan Ayew capitalised on a misplaced pass from goalkeeper Karl Darlow. However, the Black Stars captain’s heavy first touch took him wide and allowed Darlow to recover.
Thomas Partey was fortunate to remain on the pitch before the break after a foul on David Brooks. The midfielder, who had already been booked, escaped what could easily have been a second yellow card and was subsequently replaced at half-time.
Marvin Senaya nearly broke the deadlock before the interval, but his deflected effort was tipped over the crossbar by Darlow.
Queiroz made several changes at the break, introducing Benjamin Asare, Kwasi Sibo, Ernest Nuamah and Brandon Thomas-Asante.
Nuamah burst through the Wales defence before seeing his effort saved by Darlow. Caleb Yirenkyi reacted quickest to the rebound, striking the post before following up to fire home and give Ghana the lead.
Wales pushed for an equaliser and almost benefited from an own goal when Gideon Mensah’s attempted clearance narrowly missed the target.
The hosts eventually found a deserved leveller deep into stoppage time. Neco Williams delivered an inviting cross and Lewis Koumas guided a header into the corner to make it 1-1 in the 93rd minute.
One of the positives for Ghana was the performance of Nuamah, who looked sharp despite having played just 32 minutes at club level this season after spending almost a year on the sidelines with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The draw is Ghana’s first positive result since October 2025 following four straight defeats during the November and March international windows.
The Black Stars are expected to face Jamaica on June 10 in their final warm-up match before opening their World Cup campaign against Panama on June 17.
Ghana have been drawn in Group L alongside England, Croatia and Panama as they chase a first World Cup knockout-stage qualification since 2010.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
