In the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Thursday night, the Black Stars held the Palancas Negras of Angola to a 1-1 draw at the Estadio de 11 Novembro.
The Black Stars were unable to hold down Jordan Ayew’s first goal, and Angola’s equalizer from Zito Luvumbo was sufficient to extinguish Ghana’s hopes of making it to the tournament’s 35th edition.
The Ghanaian Black Stars earned a narrow advantage at halftime in a highly tactical match that took place in Luanda. Ghana was prevented from controlling the proceedings by Angola, who had already earned a spot in the AFCON tournament.
The Palancas Negras were comparatively quiet in attack and found it difficult to present a serious threat up front. Ghana played offensively and with aggression, although there weren’t many clear-cut goal attempts.
Ghana’s free kick in the eighteenth minute was the game-changing moment. The Black Stars took the lead when Jordan Ayew stepped up and sent a strong shot into the top-left corner, giving goalkeeper Neblu no chance.
After Gideon Mensah took Zito Luvumbo down in the box, Angola quickly launched an offensive surge and earned a penalty. But Manaf Nurudeen, Ghana’s goalie, stepped up to the plate with an incredible stop to hold the advantage and prevent the equalizer. Angola’s pressure was successfully handled by the Black Stars, who ended the first half ahead 1-0.
In the second half, the Black Stars played better, charging forward to try to score a game-winning goal. They did not, however, take advantage of the limited openings that presented itself.
In the 64th minute, Angola took advantage of a fantastic cross from the left and controlled possession with a conservative style of play. Zito Luvumbo leveled the score by beating goalkeeper Nurudeen with a powerful header.
Ghana quickly attempted a counterattack four minutes later. Ransford Yeboah was put through on goal by Jordan Ayew, but the youthful forward missed a fantastic opportunity to take the lead back.
Late in the game, the Black Stars kept up their pressure and created another fantastic opportunity, but their failure to finish again proved costly. Angola maintained their composure and managed to cling onto the 1-1 tie, which was sufficient to guarantee their place in the competition.
What’s next for the Black Stars?
Ghana’s illustrious footballing heritage has taken a serious hit when they were ousted from the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers for the first time in 20 years.
The Black Stars will now have to regroup, fix their inadequacies, and rekindle the zeal that has made them a dominant force in African football as they prepare for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
