Ghana head coach Otto Addo has called for greater intensity from his players following a heavy 5-1 defeat to Austria in their first of two pre-World Cup friendlies.
The match, held on Friday at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium, exposed defensive lapses and a lack of sharpness, particularly in the second half.
Addo, who previously coached at Borussia Dortmund, was candid in assessing his team’s performance.
“We have to do better. The second half was really, really not good enough at all. Everybody is playing for the World Cup, and we need to play with more intensity,” Addo said.
Austria took the lead in the 12th minute through a penalty converted by Borussia Dortmund midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, following a handball by Ghana’s Jonas Adjetey.
The hosts extended their advantage in the second half with goals from Michael Gregoritsch and Stefan Posch.
Jordan Ayew pulled one back for Ghana in the 77th minute, but Austria quickly responded through substitute Carney Chukwuemeka, and Nicolas Seiwald sealed the 5-1 result deep into stoppage time.
Ghana now turns its attention to a friendly against Germany on Monday, March 30, in Stuttgart, with kickoff scheduled for 18:45 GMT.
These matches are part of the Black Stars’ build-up to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
