By Kwame Bediako
Mexico beat Ghana 2–0 in an international friendly at Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla as both teams continued their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Goals from Brian Gutierrez and Guillermo Martínez Ayala gave hosts El Tri a comfortable victory over a youthful Black Stars side featuring several debutants and U‑23 players.
Match flow and key moments
Mexico started brightly and took the lead early when Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare made an error that allowed Gutierrez to pounce and open the scoring.
Asare quickly redeemed himself with at least three important saves to keep Ghana in the game, and the teams went into the break with the hosts leading 1–Ghana improved after half‑time and had a strong spell, with Rak Sakyi striking the post from what was their clearest chance to equalise.
In the 54th minute, Guillermo Martínez Ayala finished calmly to make it 2–0, effectively sealing the result and putting the game out of Ghana’s reach.
Ghana debuts and next steps
The match gave several Black Stars players their first senior caps, including Hearts of Oak goalkeeper Solomon Agbesi, who came on in the second half to replace Benjamin Asare. Other debutants were Prince Amoako, Rak Sakyi Addo, Medeama’s Salim Adams, Joseph Opoku, and Daniel Oduro.
Ghana will now focus on their final preparatory match against Wales before the 2026 World Cup begins in June, using this Mexico loss as a reality check and a baseline for further tactical and squad refinement.
