Ghana vs Niger

Desolate from their missed 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying chances, the Ghana team brings the curtain down on Group F match when they host Niger on Monday.
Even if the home side is already out of it, both teams as well as the outcome of the other match within the group, Mena needs three points at the Accra Sports Stadium, plus a few more favours to make it to Morocco.

The result burst the bubble of Ghana’s qualification to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Angola when the two sides met in the 11 de Novembro on friday.

Leicester City man Jordan Ayew put Ghana on an early lead as he scored a free kick from a distance to give Ghana a first half lead but the Angolans responded on the 64th minute through Zini to level the scores and the two time African champions looked doomed.

The draw with Angola has the Otto Addo men still winless in their five matches in Group F, which they have lost two games and have three draws, and are at the bottom of the log with four points behind second team Sudan.

This will be the first time the Black Stars will be absent from the Africa Cup of Nations’ stead in the last two decades, a stain that started in 2004 when they could not qualify for the competition to be hosted in Tunisia.

Certainly, the average campaign Ghana has been running means they have only scored two goals, despite a strong line-up and talented players up front.

Niger, on the other hand, crushed Sudan 4-0 at the Stade de Kegue on Thursday, earning three crucial points in their final drive for a trip to Morocco.

With elimination looming, the Mena maintained their fragile hopes of qualifying with a convincing victory thanks to goals from Youssouf Oumarou, Ousseni Badamassi, and Daniel Sosah, a forward for Kryvbas, in the first half.

Niger had lost three of their last four games in Group F, including back-to-back losses to Angola in the doubleheader in October. They had also drawn one of their previous four games.

Though they have a better goal differential (+2), Zaki Badou's team, now ranked 131st in the most recent FIFA World Rankings, has gained four of a possible fifteen points to take third place in Group F, three points behind second-place Sudan.

The formidable task of facing Ghana, who have won 11 of their last 15 matches with Niger and drawn two since February 1969, presents a formidable obstacle for Niger.

Against Angola on Thursday, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku was substituted off due to injury at halftime. The 20-year-old forward is expected to rejoin Leicester City on Sunday.