Ghana misses out on qualification to 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after 1-1 draw against Angola

The Black Stars of Ghana will not feature at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after a disappointing 1-1 draw against Angola on Friday night.

Needing a victory to keep hopes of qualification alive, the result marked a bitter end to their qualification campaign.

The match began positively for Ghana, with Coach Otto Addo’s side showing early dominance. The team managed to contain the Angolan attack and found an early breakthrough.

In the 19th minute, captain Jordan Ayew delivered a sensational strike from a direct free-kick, sending the ball into the back of the net and giving the Black Stars a 1-0 lead.

Angola had a chance to level the score shortly after Ayew’s opener. In the 27th minute, Ghana defender Gideon Mensah mistimed a challenge, leading to a penalty for the hosts. Angolan striker M’bala Nzola stepped up to take the spot-kick, but his effort was brilliantly saved by Ghana’s goalkeeper Abdul Manaf Nurudeen, preserving the Black Stars' lead.

Despite holding a narrow lead at halftime, the Black Stars struggled to maintain their momentum in the second half. Angola displayed impressive resilience and managed to equalize in the 61st minute through Zini, who scored with a powerful header from close range, cancelling out Ayew’s first-half goal.

Both teams created several chances in the latter stages of the game, but neither could find the winning goal. The match ended in a 1-1 stalemate, sealing Ghana’s fate as they fell short of qualifying for the 2025 AFCON.

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The draw leaves Ghana missing out on the chance to compete in the next AFCON tournament, a major setback for the Black Stars, who had high hopes of making an impact on the continental stage.

This is the first time in 20 years that Ghana has failed to qualify for the AFCON tournament