In a historic Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 qualifying match at the Kumasi Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Angola stunned the football world with a 1-0 victory over Ghana’s Black Stars, ending the host’s 51-year Africa Cup of Nations qualifier unbeaten run at the iconic stadium.
The heartbreaking loss came from a stoppage-time goal by substitute Felicio João in the 93rd minute, sending shockwaves through the stadium and leaving fans in disbelief.
The match was tightly contested, with both sides creating several chances throughout. Ghana, a four-time African champion, fought hard to maintain their spotless qualifying record, which had stood unbroken since 1973. However, despite dominating possession and threatening Angola’s defence, they were unable to break through.
The Palancas Negras, displaying tactical discipline, struck late in injury time when João pounced on a loose ball to slot home, sealing a historic win.
This defeat marks Ghana’s first home loss in AFCON qualifiers at the Kumasi Baba Yara Sports Stadium since their 3-0 loss to Ivory Coast on October 28, 1973, during the qualifiers for the 1974 AFCON in Egypt. That match saw Ivory Coast’s legendary Laurent Pokou and Mama Ouattara find the back of the net, bringing an early end to Ghana’s qualification campaign that year.
Historic defeats haunts Black Stars
The loss against Angola echoes other rare but significant defeats Ghana has suffered on home soil in major tournaments and qualifiers.
In 1987, during the qualifiers for the 1988 AFCON, Ghana fell 2-1 to Sierra Leone at the Accra Sports Stadium in what became known as ‘Black Monday.’ Despite a late goal by captain Abdul Aziz, the two strikes from Sierra Leone’s John Dumbuya handed Ghana their first home defeat in an AFCON qualifier since the Ivory Coast loss 14 years prior.
Similarly, the Black Stars tasted defeat at the Kumasi Baba Yara Sports Stadium in a competitive match in 2000, during the AFCON quarterfinals. South Africa’s Siyabonga Nomvethe scored the only goal of the game, knocking Ghana out of the tournament and ending their unbeaten run in major competitions at the Kumasi venue.
End of Another Unbeaten Streak
Before the Angola game, Ghana’s last home defeat to any African opposition in a qualifier occurred on January 28, 2001, when they lost 3-1 to Liberia in the qualifiers for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Liberia, led by the legendary George Weah, dominated the Black Stars, with goals from Frank Seator, Oliver Makor, and Shannon Musah. Ghana’s lone response came from Emmanuel Duah.
Additionally, the defeat in Kumasi brings back memories of another rare home loss to Sierra Leone in the Ashanti Region. On August 17, 1997, Ghana fell 2-0 to Sierra Leone at the Obuasi Len Clay Sports Stadium during the 1998 World Cup qualifiers, with Abubakar Camara and Mohammed Kalloum scoring for the visitors.
Moving forward
Ghana’s shock loss to Angola leaves fans questioning the Black Stars’ form as they aim for qualification to the 2025 AFCON in Morocco. With one of their proudest records now broken, the team will have to regroup quickly to stay in the hunt for qualification.
Despite the defeat, Ghana remains a football powerhouse on the continent, with high hopes that they can bounce back in their upcoming matches. However, the result will serve as a reminder that no ground is invincible, and history, no matter how enduring, can be rewritten.
Credit: Bright Yeboah Taylor ‘BYT’
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