The Black Stars ended their qualifying campaign for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on a sour note, losing 2-1 to Niger at the Accra Sports Stadium.
This defeat solidified Ghana’s position at the bottom of Group F, marking a historic low point in their football history as they failed to secure a single win in six games.
Head coach Otto Addo made several changes to the lineup, giving debut starts to Isaac Afful, Nathaniel Adjei, and Terry Yegbe. Jerry Afriyie, Ebenezer Abban, and Kamaradini Mamudu also made their international debut as second-half substitutes.
Ghana struggled in the opening minutes of the game, and Niger took advantage of that to take the lead in the 22nd minute through a close-range header from Ousseni Badamassi.
The Black Stars pulled parity in the 67th minute through Jerry Afriyie, curling in a low cross, becoming the first player to score on his debut for the team since Mohammed Kudus in 2019.
Niger regained the lead in stoppage time with a goal from Oumar Sako. Ghana had a late chance to equalize with a penalty, but Kudus’ effort was saved by Mahamadou Tanja, condemning Ghana to a 2-1 defeat.
