Black Stars of Ghana’s hopes of qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations were dashed after a disappointing 1-1 draw with Angola on November 15, 2024, at the Estadio de Angola.
This result means that Ghana will miss out on the tournament for the first time in 20 years, ending their streak of consecutive AFCON appearances dating back to 2004.
Ghana managed to take an early lead against the run of play when Jordan Ayew curled in a stunning free-kick in the 19th minute. However, Angola responded quickly, earning a penalty in the 27th minute. M’bala Nzola stepped up to take it, but Ghana’s goalkeeper, Abdul Manaf Nurudeen, made an exceptional save to keep the Black Stars ahead.
Ghana held onto their slim lead at the break, but Angola came out strong in the second half, launching multiple attacks and putting pressure on the Ghanaian defence.
Despite their efforts, they found it hard to break down a solid defensive unit, with Nations FC’s Razak Simpson putting in a strong performance.
However, Angola’s persistence paid off in the 63rd minute when substitute Zini scored with a powerful header to level the score. The game opened up after that, with Ghana having a few opportunities to retake the lead. Jordan Ayew set up Ransford Yeboah in a one-on-one, but the Hamburg striker was unable to beat the goalkeeper. A short time later, Yeboah found Mohammed Kudus in the box, but Kudus’ shot sailed over the bar.
Angola regained control as the match wore on, slowing the tempo with well-executed passing and ultimately securing the draw.
Ghana remains at the bottom of their group with just three points from five matches—two losses and three draws. Their final match against Niger on November 18, 2025, is now irrelevant to their qualification hopes. Angola, who have already secured their place in the tournament, increased their points tally to 13, while Sudan and Niger sit with 7 and 4 points respectively.