Lewis Koumas marked his first international goal in dramatic fashion, heading home a Neco Williams cross in the third minute of stoppage time to earn Wales a 1-1 draw against Ghana at Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday.

The result comes with both sides eyeing bigger prizes — Ghana are World Cup-bound, and England, one of their Group stage opponents, will face the Black Stars on June 23 at FIFA World Cup 2026.

Ghana substitute sparks the contest

For large portions of the evening, Wales controlled territory and possession, moving the ball through midfield with relative ease. Ghana — missing their most potent attacker, Antoine Semenyo, who was kept on the bench throughout — rarely threatened in the opening hour.

Jordan Ayew, wearing the captain's armband, offered little of the pace or penetration needed to unsettle the Welsh backline, and the Black Stars' attack looked predictable and straightforward to contain.

Thomas Partey was a controversial figure across the opening 45 minutes, earning a yellow card for a cynical foul on Daniel James before bringing down David Brooks in a similar challenge. Ghana's coaching staff made the inevitable decision to withdraw him at half-time.

James had twice struck the woodwork before the interval — Lawrence Ati-Zigi first pushed his header onto the post, and the Leeds winger then rattled the crossbar after Partey blocked his initial attempt.

Black Stars find their footing

The introduction of Ernest Nuamah and Caleb Yirenkyi from the bench transformed Ghana's performance in the final half-hour. Wales, comfortable for much of the night, found themselves increasingly pushed backwards.

Nuamah forced an excellent diving save from Karl Darlow, and Yirenkyi was sharp enough to nudge the rebound home from close range after the ball had struck a post, sparking jubilant celebrations from the loud Ghanaian contingent in the stadium in the 66th minute.

The Black Stars had also survived a moment of fortune when Gideon Mensah's careless touch rolled the ball inches wide, and referee Oscar Johnson waved away penalty appeals after Neco Williams tumbled inside the box.

Koumas delivers for Wales

With defeat looming, Wales manager Craig Bellamy turned to his substitutes, and Koumas — on the pitch since the hour mark — produced the decisive contribution. He met a Williams cross with a firm header to level matters deep into injury time.

The goal was particularly poignant for Koumas, who finished the domestic season by helping Hull earn promotion to the Premier League on loan, and who joins his father Jason as an international goalscorer for Wales.

The friendly also marked the 150th anniversary of the Football Association of Wales, founded at a Wrexham hotel in 1876. Wales wore a retro red and white kit to honour the occasion and played an African opponent on home soil for the first time.

Bellamy had highlighted his side's poor June record before kick-off — Wales had won only two of their previous 11 matches in the month — but his side showed enough resilience to avoid extending that sorry run.