The Black Stars of Ghana wrapped up their March international window with a narrow 2-1 defeat to Germany on Monday night at the MHP Arena in Stuttgart.
The West Africans entered the encounter looking to bounce back from a heavy 5-1 loss to Austria in their previous friendly, but were once again undone late in the game.
Head coach Otto Addo made two changes to his starting lineup, handing opportunities to Benjamin Asare and Kojo Oppong Peprah. Asare started in goal behind a back four of Derrick Köhn, Oppong Peprah, Alexander Djiku and Jonas Adjetey. Thomas Partey, Kwasi Sibo and Caleb Yirenkyi operated in midfield, while Jordan Ayew and Antoine Semenyo supported striker Prince Kwabena Adu.
Germany began on the front foot and nearly took the lead inside two minutes, but Nick Woltemade fired wide. The hosts continued to press, with Adjetey booked early after bringing down Kai Havertz, as Ghana struggled to settle.
Despite the early pressure, the Black Stars gradually grew into the contest, enjoying spells of possession and testing the German defence. Kwasi Sibo forced a save with Ghana’s first effort on target, while Semenyo’s dangerous cross was cleared by Joshua Kimmich before it could find a teammate.
The hosts thought they had broken the deadlock in the 32nd minute through Florian Wirtz, but the effort was ruled out for offside. However, Germany eventually took the lead just before the break when Havertz converted from the penalty spot after Adjetey was penalised for handball, giving the home side a 1-0 advantage at halftime.
Ghana made a change at the start of the second half, introducing Elisha Owusu for Sibo, while Germany refreshed their lineup with the introduction of Antonio Rüdiger, Deniz Undav and Lennart Karl.
The Germans resumed their dominance after the restart and came close to doubling their lead, but Asare produced a crucial save. Ghana also threatened, with Prince Adu Kwabena seeing his effort blocked by a resolute defence.
The Black Stars suffered a setback when Oppong Peprah was forced off through injury, with Derrick Luckassen coming on in his place. Still, Addo’s men showed resilience and found an equaliser in the 69th minute. Substitute Abdul Fatawu Issahaku made an instant impact, finishing off a cross from Köhn to level the score at 1-1.
Germany pushed forward in search of a winner and introduced Leroy Sané late in the game to add attacking impetus. The pressure eventually paid off in the closing stages, as Deniz Undav struck a decisive goal with three minutes remaining to seal a 2-1 victory for the hosts.
The result marks a second successive defeat for Ghana during the international break. The Black Stars are expected to regroup in May for a friendly against Mexico, before facing Wales in early June as part of their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
