Ghana fall in Kumasi, first time in 24 years as Milson stoppage time strike gives Angola bright start to 2025 AFCON qualifiers

Sports/ Football (Kumasi, Ghana) Sep 5 (Futball Surgery Sports)- Angola opened a strong start to 2025 African Cup of Nations qualifiers with a 1-0 away win over Ghana at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium Thursday evening.

Angola’s victory finally ends Ghana 24-year old unbeaten run at the Garden City.

Ghana second half perseverance was not enough to open door for victory over the Palancas Negras in Morocco AFCON qualifiers.

In packed Baba Yara Sports Stadium, meeting part of its historic omen, the turf appears a major destruction to Ghana given the nature of game the Black Stars wanted to play.

But Angola benefited from the pitch condition. With all the stars, in Ghana’s dedication for football on match-day, tactical blindness overruled seizing Black Stars’ potentials for victory.

In the end, Angola largely benefitted enjoying a rarely created chances from the hosts that send the visitors to a point of hunting Otto Addo’s side in stoppage time.

The Black Stars, who had maintained an unbeaten record at the stadium since 2000, saw their dominance shattered in the final moments of the game.

Angolan substitute Milson capitalised on a defensive error in the 93rd minute, slotting the ball home after Abdul Mumin’s failed clearance.

The result shocked fans, especially considering Ghana’s historic stronghold in Kumasi.

While the defeat is a blow to their AFCON hopes, much of the post-match discussion centred around the dismal condition of the pitch, which hindered both teams from displaying their best football but Ghana the largely affected.

The Black Stars held the majority of possession but struggled to create clear chances.
Jordan Ayew and Mohammed Kudus saw their efforts blocked, while Antoine Semenyo and Fatawu Issahaku couldn’t find a breakthrough.

Angola, though not dominant in possession, managed more goal attempts, with their persistence paying off in stoppage time.
The defeat raises concerns about Ghana’s qualification journey, but the bigger issue remains the state of the Baba Yara pitch, which has drawn widespread criticism.