The ppreparationsof Ghana for the 2026 FIFA World Cup endured another difficult moment after the Black Stars were beaten 2-0 by Mexico in an international friendly in Puebla on Saturday morning.
With newly appointed coach Carlos Queiroz absent for personal reasons, assistant coach Desmond Ofei led the team as Ghana continued its build-up towards next month’s tournament.
The Black Stars, who will compete in Group L alongside England, Croatia and Panama, struggled to match Mexico for long periods of the contest as the hosts produced a dominant display.
Mexico made an immediate impact and moved ahead within three minutes. Brian Gutierrez capitalised on an error by goalkeeper Benjamin Asare before calmly finishing to give the hosts an early advantage.
Ghana found it difficult to respond after conceding and created few meaningful opportunities during the opening half. Mexico controlled possession and looked more threatening in attack, while the Black Stars were unable to test the home defence consistently.
The hosts carried their momentum into the second half and doubled their lead in the 54th minute. Guillermo Martinez finished clinically past Asare after Ghana’s defence was exposed once again, leaving the visitors with a mountain to climb.
Although Ghana enjoyed spells of possession, they lacked creativity and penetration in the final third. Ofei’s side completed passes accurately throughout the match, recording an 88 percent pass accuracy, but they rarely converted their possession into dangerous attacking situations.
The statistics underlined Mexico’s control of the game. The hosts enjoyed 59 percent possession and registered 16 shots, with eight on target. Ghana, by comparison, managed only seven attempts and forced just three efforts on target.
Mexico also recorded a significantly higher expected goals figure of 1.52, while Ghana produced only 0.22, reflecting the Black Stars’ limited attacking threat across the match.
The friendly had been viewed as an important opportunity for Ghana’s coaching staff to evaluate fringe and home-based players ahead of the final World Cup squad selection.
Before the match, Ofei had described the fixture as an important platform for players seeking to impress the newly assembled technical team before the tournament begins.
Instead, Ghana’s performance raised further concerns as the side continues preparations for the World Cup. Defensive lapses proved costly, while the team struggled to create chances against a disciplined Mexican side that looked sharper and more cohesive throughout the encounter.
Attention will now turn to how quickly Ghana can improve before the start of the tournament, with tougher tests awaiting the Black Stars in a challenging World Cup group.
