Ghana suffer damaging defeat to The Gambia in pursuit of reaching AFCON 2027

[p]The defeat comes five days after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ghana/nNBjHale/"]Ghana[/a] lost 2-0 to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ivory-coast/G2FRjBgn/"]Ivory Coast[/a] in Bouake, leaving Carlos Queiroz’s side bottom of Group C and facing an early battle to keep their qualification hopes alive.[/p][embed guid="3c8ee684-1814-4361-b263-b0f6813508a9" url="https://x.com/GhanaBlackstars/status/2104994785711055015?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]It was a slow start from both sides, but the game came to life approaching the half-hour mark when Ghana were awarded a penalty after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/opoku-jerome/QmK0xLYl/"]Jerome Opoku[/a] was adjudged to have been fouled in the box following a corner.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nuamah-ernest/rsiloRPO/"]Ernest Nuamah[/a] stepped up and calmly converted from the spot to give Ghana the lead.[/p][p]The Black Stars doubled their advantage six minutes later when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/afena-gyan-felix/G4pacAW7/"]Felix Afena-Gyan[/a] was brought down on the edge of the penalty area.[/p][p]Afena-Gyan took responsibility for the resulting free-kick and produced a fine finish to put Ghana 2-0 ahead.[/p][p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/gambia/hADVg0uE/"]Gambia[/a], however, were handed a route back into the contest four minutes later.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mensah-gideon/2TkiOPy5/"]Gideon Mensah[/a] was have bundled [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ceesay-joseph/pnI8ZjZr/"]Joseph Ceesay[/a] over inside the box, giving the Scorpions a penalty.[/p][p]Mohammed Badamosi stepped up and sent Ghana goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/asare-benjamin/I3DZHrvI/"]Benjamin Asare[/a] the wrong way from 12 yards to reduce the deficit.[/p][embed guid="f8e4eacf-1472-4b72-99c0-f56699574ae8" url="https://x.com/_owurakuampofo/status/2104996615044104592?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The visitors completed their comeback just three minutes before half-time.[/p][p]A long throw was flicked on by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bojang-yaya/0tYUejh8/"]Yaya Bojang[/a] into the path of captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/colley-omar/W6rXCfCb/"]Omar Colley[/a], who kept his composure to finish and send the two teams into the break level at 2-2.[/p][p]Queiroz responded at half-time with two changes, bringing on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/suleiman-ibrahim/rRf9f5UA/"]Ibrahim Sulemana[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tetteh-benjamin/rqqoj1jM/"]Benjamin Tetteh[/a] for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brandon-thomas-asante/2TmTgQFn/"]Brandon Thomas-Asante[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sibo-kwasi/vg9tJMbL/"]Kwasi Sibo[/a].[/p][p]Ghana started the second half strongly and pushed forward in search of a third goal, but The Gambia proved dangerous on the counter.[/p][p]Against the run of play, the Scorpions took the lead when a long ball found Badamosi, who flicked it on.[/p][p]Mensah failed to clear the danger and second-half substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/colley-ebrima/t6HYZ4HP/"]Ebrima Colley[/a] pounced on the loose ball before finishing past Asare to make it 3-2.[/p][p]Ghana continued to push for an equaliser but were unable to find a way through the Gambian defence.[/p][p]The visitors then put the game beyond Ghana when Ebrima Colley scored his second of the night, heading a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sanyang-abdoulie-bamba/jBypCt7q/"]Sanyang[/a] cross into an empty net to complete a memorable victory for The Gambia.[/p][image alt="Ghana sit bottom of Group C for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers." id="3f118593-588c-47d0-9ba3-ec6f98d95dd2" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="0de80f69-bd98-4534-954b-1b324c5cc455" original-width="3840" original-height="2160" /][p]The result leaves Ghana without a point from their opening two Group C matches after defeats to Ivory Coast and The Gambia.[/p][p]The Scorpions, meanwhile, have six points from their opening two games after also beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/somalia/Aiu9mqIL/"]Somalia[/a] in their first qualifier.[/p][p]Ghana therefore face an early uphill battle in their bid to qualify for the 2027 AFCON after missing the 2025 tournament in Morocco.[/p][p]The Black Stars will now turn their attention to their remaining Group C fixtures, with matches against Somalia, Ivory Coast and The Gambia still to come.[/p][image alt="Owuraku Ampofo" id="345f5fd0-6a26-4f45-8078-6462582c5da7" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="ec4b0be9-e958-402e-ad80-df87beb98b59" original-width="1200" original-height="381" /]