In the opening match of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Cape Verde secured a dramatic victory over Ghana with a late goal by substitute Gary Rodrigues.
The match, initially balanced, took an unexpected turn as Jameiro Monteiro capitalized on a rebound after 17 minutes, putting Cape Verde in the lead with a 1-0 advantage.
Despite the early setback, Ghana pressed forward, and Majeed Ashimeru thought he had equalized with a brilliant strike, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside, as Ransford-Yeboah was deemed to have interfered with the goalkeeper’s line of sight.
Trailing at halftime, Ghana made a strong comeback in the second half, with Fenerbahce’s central defender Djiku leveling the score from a Jordan Ayew corner. Djiku’s heroics continued with two crucial goal-saving clearances that kept the Black Stars in the game.
However, Cape Verde capitalized on a moment of defensive lapses from Ghana, as Gary Rodrigues scored in added time to seal a 2-1 victory for the Blue Sharks. Despite goalkeeper Richard Ofori’s efforts in the final 10 minutes, Ghana couldn’t overturn the deficit.
The defeat leaves Ghana with a challenging task ahead, as they now look to bounce back against Egypt in their next match on January 18.