Ghana hold Wales to a draw in a pre-world cup friendly
Ghana’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup continued with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Wales in an international friendly on Tuesday, as new Black Stars coach Carlos Queiroz took charge of his first match since succeeding Otto Addo.
The visitors looked set to mark the beginning of a new era with victory after debutant Caleb Yirenkyi scored a memorable first international goal, only for Wales to snatch a dramatic equaliser deep into stoppage time.
With Ghana using the fixture to fine-tune their squads ahead the World Cup, the opening half produced few clear-cut opportunities. Ghana made several changes at the break, with Thomas Partey, Lawrence Ati-Zigi, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku and Kwabena Adu all making way for Kwasi Sibo, Benjamin Asare, Ernest Nuamah and Brandon Thomas-Asante.
The substitutions proved decisive.
Just six minutes after coming off the bench, Yirenkyi announced himself on the international stage in spectacular fashion. In the 66th minute, Ernest Nuamah surged through the Welsh defence with a powerful run before seeing his effort saved by goalkeeper Karl Darlow. The rebound fell kindly to Yirenkyi, whose first attempt struck the post before he reacted quickest to fire home and give Ghana a deserved lead.
The goal made Yirenkyi the first player to score under the tenure of Queiroz and appeared to have secured a winning start for the Portuguese coach.
However, Wales had the final say. As the match entered the fourth minute of added time, Lewis Koumas capitalised on a late opportunity to level the scores, breaking Ghanaian hearts and ensuring the contest ended all square.
Despite the late disappointment, Queiroz will take several positives from his first outing in charge, including the impact of his substitutes and the emergence of Yirenkyi, whose debut goal provided one of the standout moments of the evening.
The Black Stars will now turn their attention to the next phase of their World Cup preparations, with the tournament days away and hopes high that the team can build momentum under its new leadership.
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