A surprising 2-1 victory was clinched by Cape Verde over four-time former champions, Ghana, as substitute Garry Rodrigues scored in injury time during their opening game at the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday.
Despite Alexander Djiku’s equalizing header cancelling out Jamiro Monteiro’s goal for Cape Verde, the Black Stars seemed poised for a draw at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.
Ghana’s Majeed Ashimeru was denied a goal after a lengthy VAR check, but Cape Verde secured the win in the Group B match as Rodrigues found the net at the last moment.
This win positioned the island nation at the top of the section after Egypt and Mozambique drew 2-2 earlier, further solidifying their place at the last AFCON when they reached the knockout stage.
The evening also marked the second-half appearance of Andre Ayew as a substitute. The 34-year-old is only the third player to feature in eight editions of the competition, a record he now shares with Rigobert Song and Egyptian Ahmed Hassan.
Despite this, Ghanaians are concerned about the result as their tally of AFCON victories is bettered only by Egypt and Cameroon. However, their last title was secured in 1982 and they were eliminated in the group stage in the last edition two years ago.
Chris Hughton’s team suffered a 1-0 defeat to the Comoros in a 2026 World Cup qualifier in November, casting doubts on their potential impact in Ivory Coast.
The absence of Mohammed Kudus, who is excelling at West Ham United in the English Premier League, from the lineup and bench further dampened their prospects.
Cape Verde took the lead in the 17th minute when Jovane Cabral’s shot was turned out by Ghana goalkeeper Richard Ofori, and Monteiro followed up to score, positioning the team in an advantageous position.
Although Ghana thought they had equalized in the 36th minute, Ashimeru’s goal was ruled out following a contentious VAR check, leaving the score 1-0 in favor of Cape Verde.
Djiku’s 56th-minute header from Jordan Ayew’s delivery leveled the score at 1-1, prompting Ghana to bring on Ayew, Ernest Nuamah, and Inaki Williams in a bid to find a winner.
Despite their offensive efforts, their defense faltered, allowing Rodrigues to exploit a defensive lapse and score the winning goal for Cape Verde, setting off jubilant celebrations.
AFP
