Ghana's AFCON 2025 qualifying campaign ends in disappointment with loss to Niger

Ghana's hopes of qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) ended in heartbreak on Monday as the Black Stars fell 2-1 to Niger in their final Group F match at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The defeat sealed Ghana's disgraceful position at the bottom of the group, with just three points from six matches.

The game's decisive moment came in the 94th minute when Mohammed Kudus had a chance to salvage a draw from the penalty spot.

Fouled in the box, the West Ham midfielder stepped up, but his effort was saved by Niger's goalkeeper, Mahamadou Djibo, ensuring victory for the visitors.

Head coach Otto Addo made six changes to the squad for this encounter, offering debuts to Isaac Afful, Nathaniel Adjei, and Terry Yegbe.

Regular starters like Kudus, Abdul Manaf Nurudeen, Razak Simpson, Ibrahim Sulemana, and Kingsley Schindler also featured in the lineup.

Niger opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when Ousseini Badamassi capitalized on a defensive lapse to head home from a corner.

Ghana managed to equalize in the 67th minute through a composed finish by teenager Jerry Afriyie, who converted Ernest Nuamah's cross.

However, the Black Stars' momentum was short-lived. In the 92nd minute, Niger's Oumar Sako scored the winning goal with a powerful header from a free kick, leaving Ghana scrambling for a late response.

The loss marked a disastrous end to Ghana's qualifying campaign, which saw the team fail to secure a single victory, registering three draws and three losses.

This marks a major setback for the four-time AFCON champions, who will now miss the tournament set to take place in Morocco in 2025.