Ghana’s Black Stars suffered a 2-0 defeat to host nation Mexico in an international friendly played at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla on Friday, May 22 as both sides continue their final preparations ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Mexico were dominant from start to finish, with Brian Gutierrez opening the scoring early before Guillermo Martinez sealed the victory in the second half following a dangerous counterattack.
Ghana struggled to respond offensively and spent most of the match defending deep in their own half.
Gutierrez broke the deadlock as early as the second minute, giving El Tri a dream start to the evening.
Mexico dominated possession, finishing the game with 59.6% of the ball compared to Ghana’s 40.4%, and registering 16 shot attempts to Ghana’s seven.
The opening half was completely controlled by Mexico, who constantly pressured Ghana and created several dangerous chances throughout the first 45 minutes.
Roberto Alvarado, Gilberto Mora, and Jesus Gallardo all came close to extending the lead, but goalkeeper Benjamin Asare delivered multiple important saves to keep the scoreline close before halftime.
The second goal arrived on 54 minutes through a brilliant counterattack.
Mora drove forward before delivering a perfect pass into the middle of the box for Guillermo Martinez, who finished with a powerful shot into the top corner to double Mexico’s advantage.
Ghana nearly pulled one back after a dangerous attacking move led by Felix Afena-Gyan. The forward unleashed a powerful shot from the right side inside the box, but the Mexican goalkeeper reacted well to preserve the lead.
With head coach Carlos Queiroz absent for personal reasons, assistant coach Desmond Offei took charge of the Black Stars for the occasion.
GFA President Kurt E.S. Okraku, however, struck a measured tone following the result, noting that the match had served its purpose — providing stage exposure for fringe and U-23 players ahead of the Olympic qualifiers.
He confirmed that Ghana’s official World Cup squad announcement is scheduled for Monday, June 1.