Wales denied the Ghana national football team a first win under Carlos Queiroz when Lewis Koumas headed in a stoppage-time equaliser to make it 1-1 in Cardiff. Ghana had led through Caleb Yirenkyi and thought the result was settled until the final moments.
The draw came at a time when Ghana are running out of preparation matches before their World Cup opener against Panama in Toronto, a game Queiroz has already framed as the key to their tournament. It was also his first match in charge, and it ended with a reminder of how little room there is for error at this stage.
Antoine Semenyo was rested for the friendly, leaving Ghana without one of their faster attacking options after he had been among the last players to join the squad at their base in Newport. Even so, Yirenkyi gave them the lead in the second half and the visitors looked set to leave Cardiff with a useful result against a Wales side that had not played an African opponent since Tunisia beat them 4-0 in 1998.
Queiroz did not hide his frustration after the late collapse. He said the win had been “in our pocket” and that Ghana must learn not to let a 1-0 lead slip away, while adding that 10 days of training could bring more consistency. His point was blunt: one session is better than none, and the next 10 days will matter more than any speech after the final whistle.
That urgency sits against a difficult run. Ghana went into the game after five straight friendly defeats since qualifying for the World Cup in October, and they are due to fly to Washington on Wednesday for a training camp before heading toward Canada. Whether they arrange one more friendly or go straight into camp, the immediate task is clear: turn a promising lead into something they can actually defend when Panama arrive on the other side of the line in Toronto.
