Mexico ease past Ghana in World Cup warm-up in Puebla

Mexico warmed up for the World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Ghana in Puebla on Friday. The friendly match provided a glimpse of the excitement building just weeks before the tournament begins. Fans created a lively atmosphere at Cuauhtemoc Stadium, despite some sections being closed due to FIFA sanctions for discriminatory chants.

Brian Gutierrez opened the scoring early, curling a shot from the edge of the box in the second minute. Teenage sensation Gil Mora hit the post, and Alexis Vega had a header disallowed for offside before halftime. Ghana, with their recently appointed coach Carlos Queiroz absent, showed signs of an equalizer in the second half, hitting the crossbar and forcing saves from the Mexican goalkeeper.

However, substitute Guillermo Martinez sealed the victory in the 54th minute, finishing a counterattack to double Mexico's lead. Coach Javier Aguirre used the match to assess players for the final World Cup squad, with Europe-based players Edson Alvarez, Jorge Sanchez, and Luis Chávez making appearances after joining the training camp.