The Black Stars beat the Hawks of Togo 1-0 with a goal by debutante Bernard Mensah in a friendly game at the Accra Sports Stadium yesterday.

Playing with 10 men for most of the second half, the Stars early lead proved vital in holding off the Hawks when their numerical advantage started to tell.

The Stars are set to take on Mauritius’ national side this Sunday in a qualifier for next year’s African Cup tournament, and looked rusty after a break in competitive assignments since the African tournament in January.

Manager Avram Grant liberally applied the substitutions, giving most of his squad the chance to stretch their legs in anticipation of the upcoming qualifier.