USA smash Ghana 4-0 in international friendly

The United States earned a shocking 4-0 victory against Ghana in an international friendly held in Tennessee, marking their third consecutive win over the Black Stars.
The American team delivered an amazing first-half effort, with Dortmund midfielder Giovanni Reyna scoring a brace, former Chelsea star Christian Pulisic converting a penalty, and Monaco forward Folarin Balogun also hitting the net at the Geodis Park.
The damage was done in the first 45 minutes of the game, and Ghana couldn’t recover, bowing to their second defeat in the October international window. The Black Stars had recently lost a 2-0 defeat in North Carolina to Mexico. Coach Chris Hughton had confessed their defensive flaws in the Mexico game and promised not to repeat such blunders against the USA. However, their defending was even poorer on Tuesday night, and the USA capitalised on their terrible effort.
This setback marks Ghana’s third consecutive defeat against the USA, after winning the first two games in 2006 and 2010, both at the World Cup. The USA exacted their revenge at the 2014 World Cup and have since held the upper hand anytime the two sides have faced off.
Hughton made changes to the lineup that lost to Mexico, including replacing Lawrence Ati-Zigi in goal with Belgium-based goalkeeper Abdul Nurudeen. Despite allowing four goals, Nurudeen was undoubtedly Ghana’s finest player in the first half.
The likes of Mohammed Kudus, Thomas Partey, Jordan Ayew, and Inaki Williams all started the game but were kept mute by the USA. Williams, in particular, went off in disappointment after 75 minutes, as his goalless streak with Ghana stretched to 11 games.
The Black Stars will be back in action in November with vital matches against Madagascar and Comoros as they begin their campaign in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Following this, they will focus their attention to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations event, due to take off in January 2024. The four-time African champions are drawn in a group containing Egypt, Cape Verde, and Mozambique.