Black Stars will only get better with time – Jerome Opoku confident despite late Wales equaliser
Black Stars defender Jerome Opoku believes Ghana's performance in Tuesday's 1-1 draw with Wales is something to be proud of, insisting the team will only improve with more time together under head coach Carlos Queiroz.
Ghana were denied victory at the Cardiff City Stadium after Lewis Koumas headed home a stoppage-time equaliser for Wales. Caleb Yirenkyi had given the Black Stars a sixty-sixth-minute lead with his first senior international goal.
Speaking after the game, Opoku said Ghana deserved more from the contest but insisted the display offers encouragement with just days of preparation under the Portuguese trainer.
"I thought it was a performance for us to be proud of," Opoku said. "As the head coach said, we felt we should have won the game. It's just the little details now, and something to build on given the short time we've worked together."
'The keyword is time'
Opoku echoed Queiroz's comments on the importance of time, with the Black Stars squad only assembling fully this week due to visa issues that delayed the arrival of several players.
"The keyword is time, as the coach said," he added. "Considering the amount of time we've had together, with new additions coming in, I was pleased we could put that performance out there. It shows that with more time, we can only get better as a team."
Queiroz had revealed after the match that several players only arrived from London on the eve of the game after sorting out their documentation, meaning the squad had just one full training session together before facing Wales.
World Cup preparation
Ghana will now turn their attention to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States. The Black Stars have been drawn in Group L alongside Panama, England and Croatia, and will open their campaign against Panama on 17th June in Toronto.
The team is expected to travel to the United States for further training and one additional friendly before the tournament begins.
Queiroz has framed Ghana's group stage campaign as a single 270-minute contest spanning three matches, with qualification for the knockout stage the primary objective. The Black Stars have not won a match since October 2025, and the draw with Wales extended their winless run to six games.
Opoku, who plays his club football for Istanbul Basaksehir in Turkey, will be hoping to retain his place in the starting line-up when Ghana face Panama in their World Cup opener. The centre-back partnered Jonas Adjetey in the heart of defence against Wales and earned praise from Queiroz for his composure.
