Gambia beat Ghana 4-2 in Accra after Black Stars lead by two goals in AFCON qualifier

Pinned summary · as of 00:07

Ghana let a two-goal lead slip at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, 29 September, and lost 4-2 to The Gambia in the race for a place at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. The Black Stars still have no points after two games, having been beaten 2-0 in Bouaké by Côte d'Ivoire the previous Thursday.

What we know

• The Gambia beat Ghana 4-2 in Accra on Tuesday, 29 September, after the hosts had been ahead 2-0.
• Ernest Nuamah gave Ghana the lead with a 27th-minute spot-kick. Felix Afena-Gyan then curled in a free-kick for the second, which two outlets place in the 33rd minute.
• The Gambia pulled one back from a penalty given for a foul by Ghana's defence, then drew level at 2-2 before the interval. Omar Colley is credited with that equaliser.
• The visitors added two more after the break to complete the win, with reports pointing to a defensive error by Ghana that gave them the lead.
• Ghana sit bottom of Group C on zero points. Côte d'Ivoire beat them 2-0 in their first qualifier, played in Bouaké, and The Gambia had earlier beaten Somalia 2-1.
• Malick Yalcouyé and Franck Kessié scored the Ivorian goals in Bouaké.
• Gideon Mensah captained Ghana, and Benjamin Asare started in goal. Jonas Adjetey came in at centre-back for Alexander Djiku, who dropped out through injury.
• At his pre-match press conference, coach Carlos Queiroz said 22 players were fit and only one, whom he named as Ronald, was doubtful.
• Mr Queiroz also argued that a winning side cannot be built by changing seven or more players at every call-up, and asked for a stable core of players.
• Ghana played without Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Kudus and Antoine Semenyo, all of whom were unavailable for the opening two games.
• Just two sides from Group C reach the finals, which Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will host.
• Ghana also missed the previous edition of the tournament, held in Morocco.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Accounts differ on who converted The Gambia's first penalty: Citi Newsroom says Colley, Pulse Ghana says Assan Ceesay, and MyNewsGH and Graphic Online name Badamosi (spelled Mohamed and Muhammed). MyNewsGH puts it in the 37th minute.
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  Reports give different times and scorers for The Gambia's other goals. Graphic Online has Colley levelling in the 39th minute, then Ebrima Colley after a defensive mix-up and Adama Bojang in the 91st minute; MyNewsGH has Omar Colley equalising in the 42nd minute and Ebrima Colley scoring both second-half goals; Pulse Ghana credits Omar Colley with a hat-trick.
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  Citi Newsroom reported that Mr Queiroz rejected calls for his resignation after the match, saying his future lies with the Ghana Football Association and results. No other outlet has reported this.
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  Citi Newsroom reported that Mr Mensah blamed the loss partly on the number of newcomers in the squad, saying they lacked the mentality and emotional link needed for the national team. This comes from one outlet only.
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  Pulse Ghana reported that the win was The Gambia's first over Ghana in 33 years, and that fewer than 10,000 people attended. Graphic Online separately said the sides had not met at senior level for more than three decades and that Ghana had won six of eight earlier meetings. Each of these claims comes from a single outlet.
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  Graphic Online reported that Ghana have not won a qualifier since a 2-1 defeat of Central African Republic on 7 September 2023, and that the loss stretched a winless run to four games since the World Cup victory over Panama. No other outlet reports this.
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  Graphic Online alone reported that The Gambia turned five efforts on target into four goals, and that a Jonas Adjetey cross hit the post for Ghana in first-half stoppage time.
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  Onua Online reported that after the Côte d'Ivoire defeat Mr Queiroz called the penalty behind the second Ivorian goal a joke and asked for video assistant referees in qualifiers. No other outlet carried these remarks.

Why it matters for Ghana

Ghanaian supporters who filled seats in Accra or watched at home now see the Black Stars on the brink of a second successive failure to reach the continental finals, with only two places available in the group. The loss puts pressure on the Ghana Football Association and on Mr Queiroz, whose rebuilding plan has been publicly questioned. Fans, sponsors and players hoping for national-team exposure will be watching the remaining qualifiers closely.