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Ghana’s Black Stars concluded their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign with a 2-1 loss to Niger at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday. This defeat sealed a winless run through the qualifiers, marking the first time in 21 years that Ghana has failed to qualify for the prestigious tournament.
Already eliminated after a 1-1 draw with Angola in their penultimate match, the Black Stars sought to salvage pride in their final game. Head coach Otto Addo made several changes to his lineup, but the team continued to struggle. Niger opened the scoring in the 22nd minute through Ousseni Badamassi, securing a halftime lead.
Ghana showed signs of life in the second half with the introduction of debutant Jerry Afriyie from Thought FC. Afriyie equalized in the 67th minute, finishing clinically from Ernest Nuamah’s cross. However, Niger regained the lead in stoppage time with a 92nd-minute strike by Oumar Sako. Ghana had a golden opportunity to draw level when awarded a penalty in the 96th minute, but Mohammed Kudus missed the decisive spot-kick.
The loss left Ghana at the bottom of Group F with just three points from six games, while Angola and Sudan advanced to the tournament in Morocco.
Focus now shifts to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, with Ghana set to face Chad and Madagascar in March 2025. The Ghana Football Association’s Executive Council will meet on Wednesday to review the team’s performance and plan the way forward after this historic disappointment.
