England ended 2025 with a 2-0 win over Ghana in a women's international friendly at St. Mary's Stadium. Lucia Kendall scored her first international goal early on, and Alessia Russo added a late penalty in added time to seal the victory for Sarina Wiegman's side.
Kendall, who started her youth career at the stadium, expressed her joy after the match, saying: 'Really special moment for me to be able to do it here, where I grew up, this place made me into the player I was. It felt like it was written today.' The 20,252 fans in attendance witnessed a dominant performance from the Lionesses, who controlled much of the game.
Ghana put up a resolute defensive display, but England's quality eventually told. Russo, who came on as a substitute in the 74th minute, earned and converted a penalty in the 90+3 minute after a handball by Ghana's Yeboah, confirmed by a VAR review. The win capped off a successful year for the Lionesses, who have consistently performed well under Wiegman.
England made several changes throughout the match, with Lauren Hemp, Grace Clinton, and Laura Blindkilde Brown coming on in the 61st minute. Russo replaced Aggie Beever-Jones later on, and Lucy Bronze made way for debutant Niamh Denton in added time. Keira Walsh received a late yellow card for a challenge on Kim.
The result provides a positive end to 2025 for England, while Ghana will take heart from their performance as they prepare for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers.
