Lucia Kendall's first international goal and a late penalty from Alessia Russo secured a 2-0 victory for England against Ghana in their final match of 2025. The Lionesses' win at St Mary's Stadium on Tuesday night, however, didn't fully reflect their dominance, with a lack of clinical edge preventing a more comprehensive scoreline.
England started strongly, with Kendall, who was praised by Sarina Wiegman, opening the scoring in the fifth minute. The Aston Villa midfielder, playing at the home ground of her former club Southampton, tapped home after a misplaced clearance from Ghana's Benedicte Simon. The early goal, her first for her country, sparked scenes of jubilation.
Despite the early breakthrough, England struggled to convert their dominance into further goals. They hit the woodwork four times, with Lucy Bronze and Aggie Beever-Jones both denied by the frame of the goal. Ghana's goalkeeper, Cynthia Konlan Findib, also proved a difficult obstacle, along with some poor finishing from the Lionesses.
Ghana, although clearly lacking the technical quality of their opponents, displayed plenty of fight and athleticism. They caused England problems on occasion with quick counter-attacks and came into the match unbeaten in their last seven matches.
The game saw a few notable moments, including a forced substitution for Chloe Kelly due to injury in the first half. In the 70's Liverpool-born forward Boye-Hlorkah was replaced by Badu. Russo came on as a substitute for Beever-Jones to a great reception.
England's pressure finally told in added time when Russo's header was blocked by the hand of Comfort Yeboah. The referee consulted the monitor and awarded a penalty, which Russo confidently dispatched to seal the win.
Overall, it was a positive end to the year for England, with a win and a clean sheet. However, the Lionesses will need to improve their clinical edge if they are to achieve their goals in future tournaments. Sarina Wiegman's side never looked in danger of suffering anything other than a win once the opening goal went in.
The match marked the first-ever meeting between England and Ghana. England have a formidable record at St Mary's, having never conceded in four previous games at the venue and holding an unbeaten record against African opposition.
