Ghana’s hopes of qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) were dashed on Friday after a 1-1 draw against Angola in their penultimate qualifying match. The result means the Black Stars will miss out on the tournament for the first time since 2004.
Jordan Ayew gave Ghana the lead with a brilliant free kick in the 18th minute, but Angola equalized in the 64th through Zini, following an assist from Felício Milson. Ghana goalkeeper Abdul Manaf Nurudeen had earlier saved a penalty from Angola’s M’Bala Nzola.
With just three points from five games, Ghana remains bottom of Group F. They needed to win their final two matches and hope for other results to go in their favor, but the draw effectively ended their qualification hopes.
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Angola, already qualified with 13 points, secured their spot in Morocco next year, while Ghana’s last chance for qualification now depends on Sudan’s results and their own performance against Niger on Monday.
In other qualifying news, Zambia, Mali, and Zimbabwe secured their places in the tournament, alongside already-qualified teams such as Nigeria, Tunisia, and South Africa. Six spots remain up for grabs as the qualifiers continue through Tuesday.
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