Chris Hughton, the head coach of the Black Stars, acknowledged the challenges his team faced in dealing with Mexico's increased intensity in the second half, which resulted in their 2-0 defeat in an international friendly at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, USA, ending Hughton's unbeaten run with the Black Stars.
During the post-match press conference, Hughton expressed his satisfaction with the team's first-half performance but noted the need for more goal-scoring opportunities.
“Certainly, in the first half period I came in not too unhappy, you know. I felt we could have perhaps produced a little bit more in the final third; a few more goal scoring opportunities”
“The problem was in the second half where the Mexican team upped the tempo of their game”
However, he highlighted the difficulty they encountered in the second half when Mexico elevated their game's tempo. He emphasized Mexico's quality and their ability to press effectively, which posed challenges for his team.
“You know they're a very good side and they press well; they have very sharp players and we struggled to cope with the intensity of their game in in that second half period.”
Hirving Lozano of PSV broke the deadlock in the 57th minute, exploiting Ghana's defensive vulnerabilities, and later, in the 72nd minute, Uriel Antuna of Dynamo Moscow extended Mexico's lead by capitalizing on a well-placed through ball that pierced Ghana's defense.
Ghana's next match is against the United States, scheduled for Wednesday dawn at 12:30 A.M. at the Geodis Park in Tennessee.
