Austria produced a dominant display to cruise past Ghana 5-1 in an international friendly, compounding the Black Stars’ recent struggles and extending the hosts’ impressive run on home soil.
The home side asserted control early in the contest, taking advantage of a defensive mistake inside Ghana’s penalty area. The referee pointed to the spot after a foul involving Jonas Adjetey, and Marcel Sabitzer made no mistake from 12 yards, calmly slotting home to hand Austria the lead.
Ghana found it difficult to settle but managed to create moments of promise, with Prince Adu Kwabena posing a threat in attack. The forward came close to winning a penalty after going down in the box, but his appeals were dismissed, as Austria maintained their grip on proceedings heading into halftime with a 1-0 advantage.
The second half, however, saw the game slip rapidly away from the visitors. Austria struck twice within the opening five minutes after the restart, stretching their lead and effectively putting the contest beyond reach.
Despite the setback, Ghana responded briefly through captain Jordan Ayew, whose well-taken effort offered a glimmer of hope. But any thoughts of a comeback were quickly dashed, as substitute Carney Chukwuemeka restored Austria’s commanding lead just three minutes later.
Austria continued to press forward, with Nicolas Seiwald adding another goal to round off an emphatic performance and seal a comprehensive 5-1 victory.
The result underlines Austria’s growing strength at home, with the side now unbeaten on their own turf for two years. For Ghana, the defeat deepens concerns over form, marking a third consecutive loss following earlier setbacks against Japan and South Korea.
Attention now shifts to the Black Stars’ next test, as they prepare to face Germany in their final match of the international window—a crucial opportunity to regroup and restore confidence.
