Austria head coach Ralf Rangnick believes the Ghana national football team will respond strongly when they face the Germany national football team in their next international friendly.
Ghana endured a difficult outing in their first World Cup preparatory match, suffering a 5-1 defeat to the Austria national football team at the Ernst Happel Stadion, a result that left many fans frustrated.
Despite the heavy loss, Rangnick pointed to encouraging signs in Ghana’s performance, particularly in the opening half where they managed to keep the game tight and limit Austria’s attacking flow.
“It was a thoroughly successful match. I saw a lot of enjoyment in our play, especially in the second half when the spaces opened up. The first half was a bit sluggish because Ghana made it very tight,” said the former Manchester United interim manager.
Rangnick noted that Austria capitalised on increased space after taking control of the game, allowing them to extend their lead comfortably.
“After the 2-0, the spaces were bigger, and we could have scored one or two more goals. We’ll see how good Ghana is when they play against Germany. But you first have to play the way we did in the second half,” he added, while also praising emerging talents in his squad.
The Black Stars have now shifted focus to their next test, travelling to Stuttgart where they will look to bounce back against Germany on Monday.
Meanwhile, Austria continue their preparations with a friendly against South Korea national football team as both teams build towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
