The Lioness of England finished 2025 with a 2-0 victory over Ghana’s Black Queens in an international friendly at Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium on Tuesday.
Lucia Kendall scored her first senior international goal in the sixth minute, while Alessia Russo clinched the victory with a penalty in the 95th.
The match was the two countries’ first meeting, with England dominating possession and creating numerous scoring opportunities.
The victory extended England’s unbeaten streak against African opponents, which included a 3-0 loss to Nigeria in 2004.
Ghana coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren chose goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan Fiindib to the post, with captain Portia Boakye and Susan Ama Duah commanding the defensive line.
Benedicte Simon made her Black Queens debut in the backline, alongside Comfort Yeboah, Portia Boakye, and Susan Duah.
Jennifer Cudjoe, Stella Nyamekye, and Grace Asantewaa dominated the midfield, while Alice Kusi, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, and Doris Boaduwaa played up front.
Kendall’s goal was her first senior international goal, and she was overjoyed, adding, “It felt like it was written for me to score today. It was a very important moment for me.”
Ghana’s performance was also commended by England captain Alessia Russo, who said, “Ghana provided the type of test we wanted. We want to test ourselves against different playing styles, and we definitely got that tonight”.
This friendly encounter represents England’s final game in 2025, and they will now focus on their qualifying campaign for the 2027 World Cup, as Ghana likewise transfers attention to the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Ghana’s goalkeeper, Cynthia Konlan, produced some great saves to keep the result acceptable.
The Black Queens will extract a lot of beneficial lessons from the match ahead of the 2026 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Source: newsthemegh.com