Ghana’s hopes of qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)tournament have been revived after Niger’s commanding 4-0 victory over Sudan at the Stade de Kégé in Lomé on Thursday afternoon.
The match saw Niger take an early lead in the 6th minute with a goal from Daniel Sosah, who plays for Kryvbas in Ukraine’s top league.
Youssef Oumarou doubled their advantage, and Sosah extended their lead with a penalty, making it 3-0.
Despite a second-half push by Sudan, led by coach Kwesi Appiah, the Falcons of Jediane could not recover, with Ousseini Badamassi adding a fourth for Niger.
The win lifts Niger to third place in Group F with four points from five matches, behind already-qualified Angola and Sudan, who have 12 and 7 points, respectively.
For Ghana, the result is a significant boost. Had Sudan earned a point, Ghana would have been officially eliminated from the tournament. Now sitting at the bottom of the group, the Black Stars still have a chance to qualify.
A win against Angola in their next match will elevate them to third place with five points, just two behind Sudan and one above Niger.
Ghana’s path to qualification will hinge on a victory over Niger at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday, November 18, 2024, combined with a favorable result for Angola against Sudan.
If those conditions are met, the Black Stars could leapfrog Sudan to claim the final qualification spot in Group F.