Pfeiffer, Senaya debut as Ghana suffer heavy defeat to Austria

Defenders Patric Pfeiffer and Marvin Senaya made their first appearances for Ghana during the Black Stars’ 5-1 defeat to Austria on Friday in Vienna.

Both players were introduced in the second half with Ghana already trailing and found it difficult to influence proceedings as the team struggled to contain Austria’s attacking threat.

Pfeiffer replaced Jonas Adjetey in the 69th minute, while Senaya came on for Caleb Yirenkyi a minute later, with the score at 3-0. The pair were handed their first taste of international football in challenging circumstances.

Ghana started the match with Lawrence Ati-Zigi in goal, organising a defence that included Yirenkyi, Derrick Kohn, Alexander Djiku and Adjetey. The backline faced sustained pressure at the Ernst Happel Stadium.

In midfield, Thomas Partey and Kwasi Sibo were tasked with controlling the tempo, while Abdul Fatawu Issahaku and Antoine Semenyo provided attacking support from wide areas.

Captain Jordan Ayew led the line alongside Prince Kwabena Adu, but Ghana struggled to make a meaningful impact.

The result serves as a setback for coach Otto Addo, whose side must now regroup quickly ahead of their next friendly against Germany in Stuttgart.