England 2:0 Ghana: Black Queens Fall Short After Benedicte Simon’s Defensive Blunder
- Ghana’s Black Queens narrowly lost to England in an international friendly on Tuesday evening
- The historic match, played at St Mary’s Stadium on December 2, marked the first-ever meeting between the two sides
- Coach Kim Lars Björkegren is expected to take encouragement from his team’s disciplined performance and the competitive scoreline
The Black Queens slipped to a 2-0 defeat against the Lionesses in a much-anticipated encounter at St Mary’s Stadium on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.
Lucia Kendall opened the scoring early, and Alessia Russo added a second in second-half stoppage time to hand England a well-earned victory.
Source: Getty Images
The Lionesses beat Black Queens
Ghana entered the contest on a strong run, having scored seven unanswered goals across two legs against Egypt to reach the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). Confidence was high, and the mood in camp reflected belief in their recent progress.
England also came in with momentum, having scored eleven times in their previous two outings, including a dominant 8-0 win against China, as reported by the BBC.
The opening minutes set the tone. England pressed with purpose and pushed the Queens deep into their own territory.
Source: Getty Images
Coach Kim Lars Björkegren’s side stayed disciplined and organised, hoping to exploit spaces on quick transitions.
But the match shifted after a brief lapse at the back. Debutante Benedicte Simon tried to clear a simple ball, yet lost control at a crucial moment.
The mistake allowed England to pounce, and Kendall finished calmly after only six minutes. The goal tilted the entire contest, giving the hosts rhythm and confidence.
Below is England's first goal:
Ghana responded well, showing more possession and building promising moves as the half wore on, but the final pass proved elusive.
England managed the flow with experience, slowing the game when needed and preventing the Queens from finding clear openings.
Bjorkegren introduced fresh legs to spark a comeback, bringing on Abigail Kofi Kim and Princess Marfo, followed later by Evelyn Badu, Princella Adubea, Anasthesia Achiaa and Nancy Amoh.
The changes gave Ghana more energy but did little to trouble the Lionesses in decisive areas.
According to England Football, the Lionesses sealed the result late on when Russo converted from the spot, ending any hopes of a late push from the visitors.
Although the outcome did not favour the Queens, the performance offered valuable lessons as the team continues to grow.
The group remains focused on building on their third-place finish at the 2024 WAFCON and strengthening ahead of future challenges.
For Sarina Wiegman and her players, the victory wrapped up their final match of 2025.
They won three of their four "homecoming" matches, with a narrow loss to Brazil standing as their only setback.
England vs Ghana covered by GTV
In an earlier report, YEN.com.gh shared full details on how supporters can follow the much-talked-about clash.
The match will be shown live on GTV Sports Plus, GTV, Garden City TV and Obonu TV.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
