Mexico beat young Ghana side in a pre-world cup friendly
Mexico produced a composed display to defeat Ghana 2-0 in an international friendly at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc, as both nations continued preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Goals from Brian Gutiérrez and Guillermo Martínez Ayala secured victory for El Tri in a contest that offered valuable lessons for a youthful Ghana side ahead of the tournament, which will be co-hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada.
Fielding a largely home-based but experienced squad, Mexico started brightly and quickly asserted control against a Black Stars team featuring several debutants and Under-23 players.
The hosts capitalised on an early mistake from Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare, whose error allowed Gutiérrez to slot home the opening goal and hand Mexico the advantage.
Despite the setback, the Hearts of Oak goalkeeper responded impressively, making a series of crucial saves to keep Ghana within reach before the break. Asare denied the Mexicans on several occasions as the home side pushed for a second goal during a dominant first-half performance.
Mexico went into halftime with a deserved 1-0 lead after controlling possession and creating the better chances.
Ghana showed renewed energy after the restart and nearly found an equaliser during their best spell of the match. Rak Sakyi Addo came close to levelling the score when his effort struck the post, briefly lifting hopes for the visitors.
However, Mexico soon regained command and doubled their lead in the 54th minute. Guillermo Martínez Ayala finished calmly after a well-worked move to effectively put the result beyond Ghana’s reach.
The encounter also marked an important milestone for several Ghanaian players who made their senior international debuts.
Hearts of Oak goalkeeper Solomon Agbesi earned his first cap after replacing Asare in the second half, while Prince Amoako, Rak Sakyi Addo, Salim Adams, Joseph Opoku and Daniel Oduro were also handed opportunities to impress.
Although the defeat highlighted areas needing improvement, Ghana’s young side showed flashes of promise against experienced opposition.
The Black Stars will now shift focus to their final preparatory fixture against Wales before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup later this summer.
Comments (0)