Wales set to play Ghana in pre-World Cup friendly
Wales are in talks over a pre-World Cup friendly against England’s group rivals, Ghana, reports BritPanorama.
With their World Cup fate to be decided next month, Craig Bellamy’s team is gearing up for play-offs that will determine their entry into the tournament.
The proposed Cardiff send-off match against Ghana is expected to feature prominent players, including Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo and Tottenham’s Mohammed Kudus. If Wales qualifies, this game would serve as their final warm-up ahead of their opener against co-hosts Canada in Toronto on June 12.
Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney expressed the desire for a proper send-off game, noting that they missed a similar opportunity before the 2022 World Cup due to timing issues. “There’s nothing finalised yet, but we’ve been talking to Ghana and that’s one we’ll probably explore a bit more,” he said. The FAW recently signed a cooperation agreement with the Ghanaian FA, which focuses on coaching education.
Mooney emphasized the potential significance of playing against an African team, stating, “They’ve got plenty of very good players, and it would be a really interesting challenge for us.” This match would mark only the second occasion that Wales has faced African opposition, the first being a friendly in Tunisia in 1998.
He also acknowledged that arranging friendlies at this stage can be complex given the uncertainties surrounding World Cup qualification. “Friendlies are a big conundrum in this window, because whether you’re going or not to the World Cup has a huge bearing,” Mooney said. “But one of our ideas was that we would play against a team from Africa with a different style of football.” While Ghana remains a prospective opponent for a summer fixture at Cardiff City Stadium, Mooney noted that discussions are still in early stages.
The Dragons are set to host Bosnia and Herzegovina in a crucial Cardiff play-off semi-final on March 26. The winners of this matchup will play against Italy or Northern Ireland five days later for a chance to secure a place at the World Cup. If successful, Wales would join Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland in Group B, while Ghana is positioned within a group comprising England, Croatia, and Panama, with a notable match scheduled against England on June 23 in Foxborough.
As the qualifications draw near, anticipation builds not just for the matches themselves but for the broader implications of these fixtures on Wales’ standing in international football.
