LONDON: England will play World Cup quarter-finalists Ghana for the first time in a friendly international at Wembley on March 29, the Football Association announced here on Monday.
The match against the Black Stars comes just three days after England’s first Euro 2012 qualifier of the year, away to Wales.
Ghana were just an Asamoah Gyan missed penalty away from reaching the semi-finals of last year’s World Cup in South Africa before losing in a shoot-out to Uruguay.
The Black Stars’ side is set to feature several players familiar to English fans with Michael Essien, John Pantsil, Gyan, Richard Kingson and John Mensah all currently appearing for Premier League clubs.
England have though scrapped a planned friendly against Thailand in June.
The match was linked to England’s failed 2018 bid for the World Cup and when that failed it was always likely the Thai fixture would be scrapped.
“Although an informal agreement had been reached for a friendly match following the qualifier with Switzerland, no formal details in terms of match date or venue had ever been established and, following discussions by the FA board, it was decided not to go ahead with the fixture,” an FA spokesman said.
England have met Ghana at youth level, with the Africans convincing 4-0 winners at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup two years ago.
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