We need to play with more intensity - Otto Addo after Black Stars' 5-1 defeat to Austria

Ghana head coach Otto Addo has called for greater urgency and intensity from his players following a heavy defeat to Austria in Vienna.

The Black Stars were outclassed 5–1 in their opening friendly on Friday at the Ernst Happel Stadium, a result that exposed several shortcomings in the team’s performance.

Speaking after the match, Addo acknowledged the gap in quality, particularly in the second half, stressing that his side must respond quickly if they are to compete at the highest level.

“We have to do better. The second half was really, really not good enough at all. Everybody is playing for the World Cup, and we need to play with more intensity,” Addo said.

Austria took control early through a 12th-minute penalty from Marcel Sabitzer, awarded after a handball by Jonas Adjetey. The hosts doubled their advantage after the break with strikes from Michael Gregoritsch and Stefan Posch, before Jordan Ayew pulled one back for Ghana in the 77th minute.

Any hopes of a comeback were short-lived, as Austria restored their dominance with a goal from substitute Carney Chukwuemeka, before Nicolas Seiwald sealed the emphatic victory deep into stoppage time.

Attention now turns to Ghana’s next test against Germany on Monday, March 30, in Stuttgart, with kickoff set for 18:45 GMT.

The friendlies are part of the Black Stars’ build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.