After a superb team effort, Hannah Fankhauster scored in the 12th minute to give her team the lead.
Laura Spinn sent in a low cross from the right, which Valentina Maedl deftly allowed to pass through her legs, setting up Fankhauser for the opening goal.
Mariella El Sherif, the Austrian goalie, showed off her reflexes when she made an incredible stop against Stella Nyamekye to keep her team in the match. Ghana persisted in trying to pull even, but the World Cup rookies maintained their narrow lead until halftime.
Yussif Basigi presented Mafia Nyame and Beline Nyarkoh for Salamatu Abdulai and Asana Mohammed following the break. In the 52nd minute, Ghanaian captain Stella Nyamekye’s long-range attempt struck the post once more.
Austria had another opportunity to score the second goal, but Afi Amenyeku made a fantastic block to stop them.
Then, after a precise Comfort Yeboah delivery, Tracey Twum missed a clear header from close range, and Nyamekye’s potential goal-of-the-tournament candidate was stopped by the bar. Asana Alhassan was sent off for handling the ball in the box, and Nicole Ojukwu scored Austria’s second goal against the run of play to make the score 2-0.
Beline Nyarkoh attempted to parry Tracey Twum’s pass, but it was parried safely. Even though Stella Nyamekye scored a goal in the ninetieth minute, Austria won 2:1 overall.
Japan will be the opponent for Ghana’s second group E match on Thursday, September 5, 2024.
By: Mustapha Hadji
