Lewis Koumas scored his first Wales goal to earn a 1-1 draw with Ghana in a Cardiff friendly.
Lewis Koumas netted his maiden international goal to secure a 1-1 draw for Wales against Ghana in Tuesday's friendly at Cardiff City Stadium. The 20-year-old Liverpool player had featured on the left wing for much of his early career, but Craig Bellamy has recently repositioned him as a centre-forward.
Bellamy acknowledged Koumas' potential out wide but stressed the need for a natural striker, revealing the youngster has impressed in training as a number nine. 'He could definitely be a huge asset for us on the wing but, due to our lack of nines coming through the system, we've used him a lot in training that way and he's really been electric.'
The Wales manager expressed delight at Koumas' breakthrough goal and his rapid development under his guidance. 'There's a lot to like about Koomy. He's such a young player and I'm over the moon he got his goal because he's deserved it.' Bellamy also highlighted Koumas' adaptability after using him centrally in a recent friendly against Northern Ireland.
'We started him [as a centre-forward] against Northern Ireland [friendly draw in March], I thought he was okay.' He added that Koumas, though occasionally untidy upon coming on against Ghana, remains a key long-term prospect for the national team.
Koumas spent the second half of the 2025-26 season on loan at Hull City, contributing to their Championship play-off promotion to the Premier League. The Liverpool academy graduate has previously featured on loan at Birmingham City and Stoke City, primarily operating as a left-sided attacker. Wales, meanwhile, boast an abundance of wide options including Daniel James, Harry Wilson, Brennan Johnson, David Brooks and Sorba Thomas, but lack dedicated strikers.
Bellamy commented on Ghana's upcoming World Cup campaign after their friendly draw, noting the challenge posed by their group. 'You have a tough group, a new manager [Carlos Queiroz]. You have some key players who weren't involved today.' He praised Ghana's transitional speed and impact players like Inaki Williams and Antoine Semenyo, stressing the importance of their opening match against Panama.
'If you can keep it tight.. counter-attacking ability.. your first game is Panama, your tournament is going to be decided on that game.'
Following the Ghana draw, Wales will conclude their international campaign with a friendly against Romania on Saturday at 18:45 BST. The match serves as preparation ahead of upcoming qualifiers. Ghana, meanwhile, travel to the United States for further World Cup preparations against England, Croatia and Panama in Group B.