Ghana shown Black Stars by Cape Verde in AFCON

Garry Rodrigues celebrates after scoring the winner for Cape Verde.[Courtesy,X]

Garry Rodrigues emerged as a late-game hero for Cape Verde, scoring in stoppage time to secure a 2-1 victory over Ghana in a thrilling Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) match at Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium on Sunday.

This marked a significant moment for Cape Verde, only their fourth time in the tournament and with just two prior wins in the competition's history.

The game's opening goal came in the 17th minute when Jamiro Monteiro capitalized on a defensive error.

Ghana's goalkeeper Richard Ofori couldn't retain control of Jovane Cabral’s powerful shot, allowing Monteiro to easily score.

Ghana, chasing their first AFCON championship since 1982, had a moment of hope when Majeed Ashimeru struck from distance, but the goal was disallowed for offside, as Königsdorffer was deemed to have obstructed the view of Cape Verde's goalkeeper Vozinha while in an offside position.

In the second half, Ghana showed renewed vigor and managed to equalize through Alexander Djiku, who scored following Jordan Ayew's corner kick.

However, their efforts were undone in the 92nd minute by Rodrigues’ decisive goal, which resulted from a defensive blunder by Ghana.

This victory places Cape Verde at the top of Group B with three points, ahead of their next match against Mozambique.

With a win in that game, they could confidently advance to the knockout stages, repeating their successes from 2013 and 2021. On the other hand, this defeat adds to Ghana's struggles in recent AFCON tournaments, where they have now won only one of their last eight matches.

Facing an uphill battle, Ghana's next game is a challenging fixture against Egypt, a team that has won the competition seven times. Currently, Ghana sits at the bottom of Group B without any points, while Egypt and Mozambique each have one point.