Ghana to face Austria in March friendly ahead of 2026 World Cup

Ghana are in Group I of the 2026 World Cup alongside England, Croatia, and Panama.
Ghana are in Group I of the 2026 World Cup alongside England, Croatia, and Panama.Profimedia

Ghana will step up their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with an international friendly against Austria in March, as both nations fine-tune their squads ahead of the global showpiece.

The Black Stars are set to face Austria on Friday, March 27, 2026, at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 18:00 CET.

The fixture forms part of Ghana’s two-match window in March, with a high-profile clash against Germany lined up for Monday, March 30, 2026.

This will be the second ever meeting between the two sides after a 2007 friendly ended 1-1.

Both Ghana and Austria have already secured qualification for the World Cup, which will be staged across Canada, Mexico and the United States in June.

Ghana have been drawn in Group I alongside England, Croatia and Panama, while Austria will compete in Group J against defending champions Argentina, Algeria and Jordan.

The meeting in Vienna also carries a personal storyline, with Austria defender Kevin Danso potentially lining up against the country of his parents’ origin.

Danso, who was born in Austria to Ghanaian parents, has maintained close ties to his roots over the years. He has often expressed pride in his heritage, sharing moments of connection such as listening to Black Sherif’s music, attending Fameye’s concert in London, and building a close friendship with Ghana star Mohammed Kudus, his former West Ham teammate.

Kudus, however, is unlikely to feature in the friendly due to injury, potentially denying Danso the chance to face a familiar face on the pitch.

For Ghana, the Austria test will offer head coach Otto Addo another opportunity to assess his squad before the tournament proper, especially with the announcement of his provisional squad expected in April. 

The Black Stars will open their World Cup campaign against Panama on June 17 in Toronto, before facing England in Boston on June 23 and Croatia on June 27, 2026.

Owuraku Ampofo
Owuraku AmpofoFlashscore