January 19, (THEWILL) – Ghana was eliminated from the TotalEnergies 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after a dramatic 3-2 loss to the continental football newcomers Comoros.
Victory would have been enough for the Black Stars to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams, but Ahmed Mogni’s double handed the Comoros their first AFCON victory in a Group C match that saw four-time champions captain Andre Ayew sent off.
El Fardou Ben Nabouhane capped a fast break with a confident strike into the bottom-right corner, giving the Comoros a shock lead in the fourth minute.
Ghana’s woes were compounded when Ayew was sent off as they battled for an equaliser, with VAR ruling that the skipper had fouled goalkeeper Salim Ben Boina in an attempt to prod home a rebound from Kamaldeen Sulemana’s strike.
And the Comoros’ advantage of having an extra man paid off soon after the hour mark. Jojo Wollacott’s poor goalkeeping unfortunately gifted Mogni the chance to extend their lead with a confident finish.
With 13 minutes remaining, Richmond Boakye drove in a header from a right-wing corner, and the comeback appeared to be on when Alexander Djiku tapped in a flick-on as the Comoros’ defence failed to deal with the identical set-piece.
But, Comoros did not let up. Some superb work down the right from Bendjaloud Youssouf, presented Mogni with the opportunity for simple finish to keep the underdogs’ hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages alive and condemn Ghana to a humiliating departure.
They return home with just one draw in three group ties. They managed three goals but conceded five and could not even make it into the bracket for best third-placed teams, making it an embarrassing turnout for the Black Stars.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
