Black Stars suffer hotel burglary ahead of Austria friendly

Money, watches stolen in Black Stars camp as the team prepares to play Austria today in Vienna

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The camp of the Ghana Black Stars has been hit by unsettling news after their team hotel in Austria was reportedly burgled earlier this week.

The incident, confirmed by a senior member of the team, occurred on Wednesday and Thursday while the players and technical staff were away at training.

According to the source, two players had their hotel rooms broken into, resulting in the theft of their luxury Rolex watches, one of which is valued at $20,000. In a separate incident, a technical team member lost $2,250 in cash, which went missing upon his return from a training session.

The situation has heightened concern within the Black Stars camp, especially as the hotel management claims the CCTV cameras were not operational at the time of the incidents. Hotel authorities have also insisted that they cannot be held liable, stating that there were “no visible signs of forced entry” into any of the affected rooms.

In response, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has involved the Vienna Police in Austria, who are expected to investigate the matter further and help unravel how the thefts occurred despite the supposed security measures in place.

The incidents have reportedly left some players shaken and unsettled, particularly given the back-to-back nature of the burglary attempts. The team had converged in Vienna as part of a double-header of international friendlies against Austria and Germany, designed to intensify preparations ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

The Black Stars face Austria this evening at 17:00 GMT, a match that now comes against the backdrop of off-field distractions within the squad.

Ghana Black Stars ‘ build-up to the FIFA 2026 World Cup continues with a series of friendlies and preparatory camps. The team will begin their World Cup campaign on 17 June, when they take on Panama in Toronto.

They will then travel to the United States to face England on 23 June and Croatia on 27 June, rounding off their group-stage fixtures.

Despite the troubling events in Austria, the Black Stars are expected to remain focused as they fine-tune their tactics and strengthen team cohesion heading into a crucial global tournament.

Raymond Nyamador, host of SportyFM’s morning show, also revealed details of the incident. You can watch this below.