Jerome Opoku: Ghana Defender Sees Positives After Wales Friendly Draw
· YEN.com.gh News · Join- Jerome Opoku says Ghana can be proud of their performance despite conceding a late equaliser against Wales
- The defender believes the team has adapted quickly to Carlos Queiroz’s ideas despite limited preparation time
- Ghana now shift their focus to the World Cup, where they will face Panama, England and Croatia in Group L
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Ghana defender Jerome Opoku believes the Black Stars delivered a performance they can be proud of despite being denied victory in a 1-1 draw against Wales in Cardiff on Tuesday night.
The Black Stars appeared on course to hand new head coach Carlos Queiroz a winning start after Caleb Yirenkyi scored his first senior international goal in the 66th minute.
Source: Getty Images
However, Lewis Koumas struck deep into stoppage time to rescue a draw for the hosts at Cardiff City Stadium.
While disappointed not to leave with the victory, Opoku felt Ghana showed enough quality, discipline and organisation to take plenty of positives from the match ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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“I thought it was a performance for us to be proud of,” Opoku said after the game.
“As the head coach said, we felt we should have won the game. It's just the little details now, and something to build on given the short time we've worked together.”
Opoku encouraged by fast progress under Queiroz
The defender was particularly pleased with how quickly the players have adapted to the ideas of Queiroz, who only recently took charge of the four-time African champions.
According to Opoku, the limited amount of preparation time makes the performance even more encouraging, especially with several new players being integrated into the squad.
“The key word is time, as the coach said,” he explained.
“Considering the amount of time we've had together, with new additions coming in, I was pleased we could put that performance out there. It shows that with more time, we can only get better as a team.”
Black Stars Turn Focus to World Cup Challenge
Ghana overcame early pressure from Wales before growing into the game and producing an impressive second-half display.
Ernest Nuamah was a constant threat in attack, while Yirenkyi’s goal highlighted the growing depth available to the squad ahead of the World Cup.
Although the Black Stars were unable to hold on for victory, the performance provided further evidence that the team is moving in the right direction under Queiroz.
Ghana will now turn their attention to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they have been drawn in Group L alongside the Panama national football team, England national football team and Croatia national football team.
The Black Stars begin their campaign against Panama on June 17 as they aim to make a strong start at football’s biggest tournament.
For Opoku, the encouraging display in Cardiff proves that Ghana already has a solid foundation in place and significant room for improvement as preparations continue for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Source: YEN.com.gh