Mohammed Kudus misses late penalty as Niger stun Ghana in Accra

West Ham midfielder Mohammed Kudus missed a last-gasp penalty as the Black Stars suffered a 2-1 defeat to Niger in their final 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The loss capped off a disastrous campaign for Ghana, who finished bottom of Group F without a single victory.

Ghana’s struggles were evident throughout the qualifiers, managing only three goals in six matches. Group F was topped by Angola and Kwesi Appiah’s Sudan, both securing qualification for the AFCON in Morocco.

The match saw three Black Stars debutants—Nathaniel Adjei, Terry Yegbe, and Isaac Afful—start, while 17-year-old Jerry Afriyie made an impactful debut off the bench. Afriyie, playing for third-tier side Thoughts FC, scored a fine goal in the 67th minute to cancel out Niger’s opener from Ousseini Badamassi.

 

This guy! Jerry Afriyie scores on his Black Stars debut.#MaxTV | #BlackStars pic.twitter.com/p9rtUvc2sE

— Max TV Ghana (@maxtvgh) November 18, 2024

Despite Afriyie’s strike raising hopes of a turnaround, Niger snatched victory in added time through Oumar Sako, who headed home after being left unmarked. Kudus earned Ghana a penalty deep into stoppage time but failed to convert, with the Niger goalkeeper Mahamadou Tanja pulling off a brilliant save.

The loss leaves coach Otto Addo under immense pressure, with the Ghana Football Association’s Executive Council set to meet on Wednesday to assess the team’s abysmal performance.

Addo, who managed just two wins in 10 games in his second stint, faces an uncertain future, with calls for accountability growing louder.

This defeat marks the end of a grim AFCON qualifying campaign for Ghana, as questions loom over the team’s leadership and direction ahead of future competitions.

The post Mohammed Kudus misses late penalty as Niger stun Ghana in Accra first appeared on 3News.

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