Black stars head coach, Chris Hughton has tasted his first defeat since his appointment as the new gaffer succeeding Otto Oddo after the 2022 World Cup.
Since taking over as coach of the national team in February, Chris Hughton had steered the group to three victories and two ties before this defeat.
This international friendly was played between the Ghanaian soccer men’s team and Mexico at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
As part of their preparation for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers for 2026, the Black Stars are presently in the United States of America for two international friendlies.
Prior this fixture, the Black Stars had not lost a match since he took over in March as the head coach and has successfully secured qualification to the African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
The game was vigorously launched by the four-time African champions, who mounted early assaults. Mexico, nevertheless began dominating the game’s play in the 25th minute.
Ghana experienced a major setback when Alidu Seidu of Clermont Foot was substituted for injured center back Joseph Aidoo in the 28th minute.
Chris Hughton’s men used a three-defender formation for the majority of the first half, which resulted in a goalless stalemate at the break after limited chances were created by both sides.
The captain of the day, Thomas Partey was replaced by RC lens midfielder Salid Abdul Samed but that change couldn’t stop poster boy of Mexico, Hirving Lozano from opening the scoresheet with a low drive in the 57th minute.
Following the second goal, Chris Hughton made tactical adjustments and added more offensive power, including Jordan Ayew, Ernest Nuamah, and Inaki Williams.
Ghana still struggled to break through Mexico’s thick defensive line. In the 72nd minute, Uriel Atuna took advantage of a counter attack to give Mexico the second goal and the victory.
With a possession rate of more than 50%, Chris Hughton’s team was able to dominate major parts of the game .
However, in comparison to Mexico’s 14 attempts, Ghana’s four goal attempts were far away from successful.
The most noticeable gap was obvious in the statistics for shots on target, when Mexico had four and the Black Stars had none.
The United States of America will be the Black Stars’ next adversary when they take the pitch at GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday, October 17, 2023.
Despite the loss to Mexico, the team is still committed to reorganising and showing off their full ability in the remaining matches.
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Story by: Asack Pius | univers.ug.edu.gh
