Cape Verde Stuns Ghana with Shock 2-1 Victory in African Cup of Nations

Cape Verde produced a shock of the group stage in the African Cup of Nations (Afcon) as they defeated the four-time African champions Ghana 2-1 on Sunday. Substitute Garry Rodrigues scored in stoppage time to hand the Black Stars a defeat in their opening match of the tournament.

Early in the game, Cape Verde took the lead on 17 minutes courtesy of a goal from Jamiro Monteiro. The midfielder pounced on a rebound after Ofori saved Cabral‘s shot and tapped the ball into the net.

Ghana thought they had equalized minutes before half-time when Majeed Ashimeru’s long-range shot found the back of the net. However, after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) check, referee Jean-Jacques Ngambo ruled the goal out for offside as Ransford Konigsdorffer had influenced play from an offside position by blocking the view of the goalkeeper.

Undeterred by the setback, Ghana later scored the equalizer on 57 minutes as Alexander Djiku rose high inside the box to head Jordan Ayew’s cross from a corner-kick into the net.

Both teams pushed for the winner, but it was Cape Verde who created more chances. Goalkeeper Richard Ofori first denied Kenny Rocha with his leg and then later stopped Rodrigues’ shot with a strong hand late into the game.

But the substitute, Rodrigues, had the last laugh as he tapped Tavares’ pass into the empty net after a mix-up from the Ghana defenders. The winger’s goal sent both players and fans of Cape Verde into wild celebrations.

With this win, Cape Verde sits at the top of Group B with three points, while Egypt and Mozambique, who drew 2-2 earlier in the day, trail behind.

Ghana entered the 2023 Afcon with hopes of winning their fifth title. However, they will need to revisit the drawing board after this shock defeat by Cape Verde. The Black Stars controlled much of the possession in the first half but found it hard to break down Cape Verde’s defense.

Mohammed Kudus was a big miss for the Black Stars in this match due to a hamstring injury. His absence was evident as the team lacked the penetrating power that the West Ham forward brings to their attack.

Coach Chris Hughton will need to pull out all the stops in their next game against seven-time Afcon winners Egypt if they stand any chance of progressing from Group B.

Both teams are yet to secure a win in the tournament so far.