Ghana coach Addo aiming for victory against Austria in friendly

Ghana have been training in Vienna since Monday
Ghana have been training in Vienna since MondayGhana Football Association

Black Stars boss Otto Addo and captain Jordan Ayew speak with confidence ahead of Friday's friendly in Vienna

Addo has made his intentions ahead of Ghana's international friendly against Austria in Vienna on Friday, stating the Black Stars are not travelling to Europe to make up the numbers.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Thursday, the Ghana head coach struck a confident and focused tone as his side prepare for their first of two high-profile World Cup warm-up matches this month.

"We want to win every match we play, and this is for sure," Addo told reporters.

"Now the full focus is on Austria. We saw what they do, we have analysed them well and very hopeful that the players will do it at the end."

The coach also acknowledged the unpredictable nature of modern international football when sizing up Ralf Rangnick's Austria side, who arrive into the fixture having qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

"I think in modern day football, to be honest, everyone can beat everyone," he said.

Ghana face Austria at the Ernst Happel-Stadion in Vienna on Friday, March 27th, with kick-off scheduled for 18:00 CET.

The fixture is the first of two back-to-back friendlies in the March international window, with Addo's men set to travel to Stuttgart three days later to face Germany on March 30th.

Both matches serve as crucial dress rehearsals ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where Ghana have been drawn in Group L alongside Panama, England and Croatia.

Austria come into the game as a well-organised and dangerous European side, captained by Real Madrid's David Alaba and boasting quality throughout in the form of Marcel Sabitzer, Konrad Laimer and Marko Arnautovic. 

Captain Jordan Ayew echoed his coach's determination at the press conference, insisting the squad is in excellent shape heading into the match.

"We want to play for our country, we want to do well for our country, so every game is important," the Leicester City forward said. "Tomorrow is going to be a tough game, but we'll do our best."

Ayew was particularly encouraged by what he has seen on the training ground during the squad's preparation in Vienna.

"I think we have prepared really well tactically, technically, physically, we're really good. We've had a couple of days of training and what I've seen is positive."

The skipper was also keen to take the two matches one at a time, while acknowledging the broader context of the window.

"We're ready for tomorrow, and we'll see if we can get a positive result," he said. "And afterwards Monday against Germany, we'll take care of itself."

Ghana arrive in Vienna with confidence coursing through the camp. Antoine Semenyo, fresh from winning the Carabao Cup with Manchester City last Sunday and named Premier League Player of the Month for February, is among the most in-form players in English football right now.

Thomas Partey and Alexander Djiku have also returned to the fold, adding experience and quality to a group that also contains four uncapped players in Derrick Luckassen, Patrick Pfeiffer, Marvin Senaya and Daniel Agyei.

It will be the first time Ghana and Austria have met since a 1-1 draw at the same venue in March 2007, and with a World Cup just months away, both nations have every reason to approach Friday's contest with full intensity.

Owuraku Ampofo
Owuraku AmpofoFlashscore