Ghana and Wales drew 1-1 in their first-ever matchup on Tuesday at the Cardiff City Stadium. It was Carlos Queiroz’s first game in charge of the Black Stars.
Caleb Yirenkyi scored for Ghana in the second half to take the lead, but Lewis Koumas scored a header in the third minute of stoppage time to level things up for Wales.
Wales dominated early on in the game and had opportunities to score first but Lawrence Ati- Zigi made two crucial saves to deny Daniel James. After the early pressure from Wales died down, Ghana started to find opportunities to score.
Jordan Ayew had a chance to score after keeper Karl Darlow fumbled the ball, but Darlow saved Ayew’s shot. Marvin Senaya also shot towards goal, and his volley deflected off a player and forced Darlow to make a diving save.
Late into the first half, Thomas Partey went into a tackle, and the Welsh bench protested for a second yellow. However, instead of getting yellow-carded, he was only warned by the referee.
Queiroz made four substitutions at half-time which saw Kwasi Sibo, Ernest Nuamah, Brandon Thomas-Asante and goalkeeper Benjamin Asare. The subs gave Ghana a spark forward as they soon created chances. Yirenkyi scored from a team effort after his first shot hit the crossbar, but he was there to tap in the rebound.
Ghana looked like the winners, but the late goal from Wales silenced the stadium. Neco Williams crossed a ball to the back post where Koumas timed his run perfectly and scored his header goal.
Queiroz gave his reaction to the game. He says the team needs to work on some decision making and team chemistry, but praised them for how far they got in a short time of training. He says the players executed the game plan he provided them, but most notably spoke about Yirenkyi, who he says is a player for the future.
Ghana will remain in Cardiff to train today before departing for the United States for another friendly before their opener at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.




