Mexico Beats Ghana in Composed Performance as World Cup Preparations Heat Up

PUEBLA: The latest Mexico vs Ghana international friendly ended in a 2-0 victory for Mexico, with coach Javier Aguirre continuing to assess his squad ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

Played at the Estadio Cuauhtemoc in Puebla, the match drew a strong home crowd despite the city not being included among Mexico’s official World Cup host venues. Mexico made an immediate impact, taking the lead within the opening minutes through Brian Gutierrez, whose curling effort from outside the box beat the Ghana goalkeeper.

Mexico controlled much of the first half and created several additional chances before the break. Young forward Gil Mora struck the woodwork, while Alexis Vega saw a header ruled out for offside after a VAR review.

Aguirre later praised Mora’s display and welcomed the teenager’s return following injury problems.

“He's a different player, we've always said that,” Aguirre said.

“He's brave, direct, vertical ... he gives us great joy because he's Mexican and because he's back without pain.”

Ghana Respond but Mexico Finish Strongly

Ghana improved after halftime and produced a more aggressive attacking performance. The visitors forced multiple saves from Mexico’s goalkeeper and also hit the crossbar during their best period of the game.

However, Mexico regained control midway through the second half. Substitute Guillermo Martinez completed a fast counterattack in the 54th minute to double the lead and effectively settle the contest.

The match also gave Aguirre another opportunity to evaluate several senior players returning from Europe. Luis Chavez, Edson Alvarez and Jorge Sanchez all featured after recently joining the national team camp.

The result means Mexico beats Ghana heading into the final weeks before the World Cup, with the hosts showing encouraging balance in both attack and defence.