The Gambia stunned Ghana with a 4-2 victory at the Accra Sports Stadium, condemning the Black Stars to their second consecutive defeat in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The defeat marked Ghana’s second consecutive loss after the Black Stars opened their qualifying campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké, leaving them without a point from their opening two matches.
Ghana started the game brightly in front of a crowd of fewer than 10,000 spectators and dominated possession during the opening stages.
However, the Black Stars struggled to turn their control of the ball into clear-cut opportunities, with much of their possession taking place in their own half as The Gambia maintained a compact defensive shape.
Ghana eventually broke the deadlock in the 27th minute after Jerome Opoku was brought down inside the penalty area following a corner-kick situation.
Ernest Nuamah stepped up and calmly converted from the spot to give the Black Stars a 1-0 lead.
Ghana continued to press and doubled their advantage after Felix Afena-Gyan won possession and was brought down just outside the penalty area.
Afena-Gyan took responsibility for the resulting free-kick and produced a powerful strike that beat the Gambian wall and found the back of the net.
The Black Stars appeared to be in control with a 2-0 lead, but The Gambia quickly turned the game around before half-time.
Gideon Mensah conceded a penalty after bringing down a Gambian attacker inside the box, allowing Assan Ceesay to pull one back from the spot.
The visitors then completed their comeback in the 42nd minute when Musa Barrow's delivery created an opening for Omar Colley, who finished clinically to make it 2-2 before half-time.
After the break, the Gambia returned with greater attacking intent, while Ghana became increasingly conservative in possession.
The Black Stars struggled to regain the control they had enjoyed during the early stages, allowing the visitors to grow in confidence.
The Gambia eventually completed the turnaround after a defensive error from Gideon Mensah presented Colley with another opportunity, and the defender made no mistake to put the visitors 3-2 ahead.
Ghana pushed forward in search of an equalizer but left spaces at the back as they committed players into attack.
The Gambia capitalized on the situation with a swift counterattack in stoppage time, with Colley completing his hat-trick in the 92nd minute to seal a stunning 4-2 victory.
The result marks a historic victory for The Gambia, who recorded their first win over Ghana in 33 years.
For the Black Stars, the defeat leaves them facing an early setback in their quest to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Ghana will now have to regroup quickly and improve their defensive organization and attacking efficiency as they look to revive their qualification campaign.
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