Following a 1-1 draw with Angola in Luanda, Ghana’s Black Stars have missed out on qualifying for the AFCON tournament for the first time since 2004.
Razak Simpson and Michael Baidoo, two local players, were given their first starts for the Black Stars as part of Otto Addo’s roster changes.
Lawrence Ati-Zigi was replaced in the goal by Abdul Manaf Nurudeen.
Ghana got off to a strong start when Mohammed Kudus was fouled and Jordan Ayew scored the first goal for the Black Stars with a spectacular free kick from 35 yards out.
After 19 minutes of play, the Leicester City forward beat the goalie with a stunning free kick.
There was still hope for Ghana’s Black Stars. A few minutes later, Gideon Mensah gave Angola a penalty in the 18 box for a foul.
But M’Bala Nzola was denied the penalty kick by Abdul Manaf Nurudeen, who was making his competitive debut for the national team.
The Angolan defense stopped an attempt by Ghana’s Baidoo in the 44th minute, giving Ghana the lead going into halftime.
The Angolans exerted constant pressure on the Black Stars and played a strong game, particularly in the second half when they won nearly every possession.
At the beginning of the second half, Ebenezer Annan took Abdul Fatawu Issahaku’s place. Baidoo then left, with Ransford Yeboah replacing him.
After effectively defending the wide areas in the first half, Angola grabbed the equalizer when the Black Stars defense briefly went off.
In the second half, Zini was left unmarked in the box and beat Manaf in Ghana’s goal after Milson’s cross.
As the Black Stars continued to look for their second goal of the match, Mohammed Kudus, Ghana’s poster player, had an attempt in the 71st minute go wide of the post.
A few minutes later, Jordan Ayew gave the Black Stars one of their best opportunities when he passed the ball to Ransford Yeboah, who faced the Angolan goalkeeper but had his close-range attempt saved.
In the final moments, Ghana’s goalie Manaf Nurudeen once again made an amazing impression by making a fantastic save that denied Angola what appeared to be the game-winning goal.
Ghana only needed a victory to maintain their chances of making it to Morocco for Africa’s premier tournament next year.
Despite gearing up to play their final match against Niger in Accra on Monday, Ghana appears to have missed out on qualifying.
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