In a challenging international friendly, the Black Stars of Ghana found themselves outclassed by the United States of America (USA) in their second loss in three days.
An eventful first half on Wednesday morning saw the Americans secure a commanding lead with four goals scored within the initial 40 minutes. Giovanni Reyna was instrumental, netting twice during this period.
Reyna seized the opportunity in the 10th minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapse by the Black Stars to secure an early lead for the USA. The advantage was further extended in the 19th minute when AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic converted a penalty, awarded after Timothy Weah was fouled in the box.
The third goal swiftly followed, as Weah capitalized on a mistake by debutant Jerome Opoku, assisting Folarin Balogun in increasing the lead to three. In the 30th minute, Ghana narrowly avoided further setback when Balogun’s header was safely collected by Abdul Manaf Nurudeen.
Nurudeen demonstrated his prowess once more, denying Pulisic a goal five minutes later. Nevertheless, Reyna’s second strike in the 40th minute, following a well-executed free kick, further solidified the USA’s lead.
Ghana’s Mohammed Kudus put up a commendable effort a minute after conceding, forcing Matt Turner into a remarkable save, marking Ghana’s first shot on target in the October international break.
After half-time, Hughton made one substitution, bringing in Kingsley Schindler for Gideon Mensah. Both teams displayed limited attacking intent in the second half.
The game concluded with the USA securing victory, capitalizing on their four-goal lead from the opening half.
Manager Chris Hughton made six alterations to the starting lineup compared to the fixture against Mexico. Nurudeen, Alidu Seidu, Jerome Opoku, Edmund Addo, Jordan Ayew, and Inaki Williams all featured in the starting lineup.
Ghana concludes the international break with two defeats, having previously lost to Mexico with a scoreline of 0-2 over the weekend. This loss also signifies Hughton’s consecutive defeats as head coach, following an initial five-game unbeaten streak.
The four-time African champions will regroup next month to kick off qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, before heading to Ivory Coast in January for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
SOURCE: GraphicOnline
