Ghana’s struggles continued as the Black Stars fell to a narrow 2-1 defeat against Germany in an international friendly at the MHP Arena in Stuttgart on Monday.

Coming into the game on the back of three consecutive defeats, Ghana were looking for a response but once again, familiar problems resurfaced, particularly in defence, as Germany punished key moments to secure victory.

Germany started on the front foot, dominating possession early and probing for openings.

Within the opening minutes, Nick Woltemade fired wide from inside the box, before Florian Wirtz struck the post with a stunning free kick in the 6th minute.

The pressure kept building as Serge Gnabry missed a clear chance midway through the first half, while Wirtz thought he had given Germany the lead in the 33rd minute, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.

Ghana, meanwhile, struggled to create clear opportunities but held firm until stoppage time in the first half, when controversy struck.

After a VAR review, Germany were awarded a penalty for handball against Jonas Adjei Adjetey.

It marked a worrying trend for the defender, who had also conceded a penalty in Ghana’s heavy 5-1 defeat to Austria on Friday in Vienna.

Germany made no mistake from the spot, taking a 1-0 lead into the break through Arsenal forward Kai Havertz.

The Black Stars showed more intent after halftime as Prince Adu came close early in the second half, but his effort was blocked, before Germany hit the crossbar again through Woltemade.

However, the breakthrough for the Black Stars came in the 70th minute when substitute Issahaku Fatawu made an instant impact, producing a superb first-time strike that flew into the bottom corner to level the game at 1-1 after a brilliant work by left back Derrick Köhn.

For a moment, Ghana looked capable of completing the turnaround.

However, Germany responded late on in the 88th minute as Deniz Undav made the decisive impact by latching onto a well-timed pass, went one-on-one with goalkeeper Benjamin Asare, and calmly finishing into the top corner to restore Germany’s lead at 2-1.

Ghana pushed for a late equaliser, with Antoine Semenyo making a driving run into the box in stoppage time, but his effort sailed over the bar.

The result means Ghana have now lost four consecutive matches, conceding ten goals in that period, raising concerns ahead of upcoming international assignments.

As part of their preparations, the Black Stars will next travel to North America to face Mexico on May 22, before taking on Wales on June 2.

With a 2026 World Cup group ahead featuring England, Croatia, and Panama, Ghana will need to address defensive challenges and improve their attacking efficiency if they are to make a mark at the global showpiece.