Austria captain Marcel Sabitzer has criticised the approach of the Ghana national football team following their heavy 5-1 defeat in Friday’s international friendly in Vienna.
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder was instrumental in the victory, contributing a goal and two assists as Austria dominated proceedings against the West African side.
Reflecting on the match, Sabitzer admitted his team’s first-half display lacked intensity but insisted they remained in control throughout, pointing to Ghana’s cautious setup.
“The first half wasn’t particularly exciting, but we played solidly. We had some good scoring opportunities, played well from back to front, controlled the game, and they were a bit passive,” he said after the match.
Once Ghana opened up in search of a response, Austria capitalised clinically, extending their lead with a flurry of late goals to seal an emphatic victory.
Despite his criticism, Sabitzer acknowledged the quality of the Black Stars while praising his teammates for their performance.
“We scored even more goals towards the end, and when you win 5-1, and Ghana isn’t just any team, we’re satisfied and proud. It’s very important to start like this; there were 40,000 fans here, so we have a responsibility to play good football,” he added.
The Black Stars have since travelled to Stuttgart, where they will aim to bounce back when they face the Germany national football team in their next friendly on Monday.
