By OkayGoal 
Ghana defender Jerome Opoku believes the Black Stars produced a performance to be proud of despite being denied victory in a 1-1 draw against Wales in Cardiff on Tuesday night.
The Black Stars looked set to hand new head coach Carlos Queiroz a winning start after Caleb Yirenkyi scored his first senior international goal in the 66th minute.
However, Lewis Koumas struck deep into stoppage time to rescue a draw for the hosts at the Cardiff City Stadium.
While disappointed not to secure the win, Opoku felt Ghana showed enough quality and organisation to leave the match with plenty of positives ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“I thought it was a performance for us to be proud of,” Opoku said after the game.
“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 defender was particularly encouraged by how quickly the players adapted to the ideas of Queiroz, who only recently took charge of the four-time African champions.
According to Opoku, the limited preparation time makes the performance even more impressive, especially with several new faces integrating into the squad.
“The key word is time, as the coach said,” he explained.
“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.”
Ghana weathered early pressure from Wales before growing into the contest and producing an impressive second-half display.
Ernest Nuamah was a constant threat in attack, while Yirenkyi’s goal highlighted the growing depth within the squad ahead of the World Cup.
Although the Black Stars were unable to hold on for victory, the performance provided further evidence that the team is moving in the right direction under Queiroz.
Ghana will now shift their focus to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they have been drawn in Group L alongside Panama, England and Croatia.
The Black Stars begin their campaign against Panama on June 17 as they aim to make a strong start on football’s biggest stage.
The encouraging display in Cardiff is a proof for Opoku that the team has a solid foundation and significant room for improvement as preparations continue for the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.