A late goal earned Niger a 2-1 win over Ghana in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group F match at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday night.
2025 Africa Cup of Nations
1-2
Match Report
A late goal earned Niger a 2-1 win over Ghana in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group F match at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday night.
However, the Menas failed to qualify for the AFCON finals after finishing third in Group F, while the Black Stars finished at the bottom of the group standings having failed to register a single victory.
The Menas got off to a promising start and they managed to break the deadlock in the 22nd minute when Rahim Alhassane’s corner-kick was headed home by Ousseini Badamassi to hand Niger a 1-0 lead.
The Black Stars pushed for the equalising goal and Mohammed Kudus had a chance to score from inside the Niger box in the 36th minute, but the West Ham United star’s effort was blocked, and the score was 1-0 to Niger at half-time.
Ghana continued the search for the goal that would level matters and they got it through coach Otto Addo’s inspired substitute Jerry Afriyie who fired home Ernest Nuamah’s low cross to make it 1-1 in the 67th minute.
Both teams then launched attacks in the latter stages of the match as they searched for a late winning goal and it was the visitors who netted in stoppage time when Oumar Sako beat goalkeeper Abdul Manaf Nurudeen to make it 2-1 to Niger.
Ghana were then awarded a late penalty after Kudus was fouled in the box, but the left-footed attacker was denied by goalkeeper Mahamadou Tandja and Niger held on to secure a famous 2-1 win.
Line-ups
Ghana XI: Kingsley Schindler, Abdul Nurudeen, Mohammed Kudus, Ransford Königsdörffer, Nathaniel Adjei, Abu Francis, Razak Simpson, Ernest Nuamah, Ibrahim Sulemana, Isaac Afful, Terry Yegbe
Subs: Lawrence Ati Zigi, Owusu, Joe Wollacott, Michael Baidoo, Osman Bukari, Amankwah Forson, Ebenezer Annan, Kamaradini Mamudu, Emmanuel Antwi, Ebenezer Abban
Niger XI: Abdoulaye Boureima Katkoré, Ali Mohamed, Boubacar Hainikoye, Oumar Sako, Yusif Moussa, Ousseini Badamassi, Abdoul Garba, Daniel Sosah, M. Djibo, Rahim Alhassane, Kairou Amoustapha
Subs: Najeeb Yakubu, Yahaya Babari, Salim Abubakar, Alhabib Hassane Abdou, Moussa Kassa Moudou, mohamed abdourahmane