Cape Verde upset Ghana with stoppage-time winner

The players of Cape Verde hurried towards the audience at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium to rejoice in Garry Rodrigues' victorious goal with their fans.

Cape Verde surprised Ghana when they scored a goal in the last minute of the match and won the game, which put them in first place in Group B during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

In the 92nd minute of the game, there was a confusion in the defence of the Black Stars which allowed Garry Rodrigues to score easily into an unguarded net.

Jamiro Monteiro scored the first goal for the islanders and Ghana's goal was disallowed for being offside just before the first half ended.

Alexander Djiku managed to equalize with a low header, however, Richard Ofori, Ghana's goalkeeper, pulled off two impressive saves prior to Rodrigues seizing the opportunity to clinch the win.

After a 2-2 draw between Egypt and Mozambique earlier on Sunday, Cape Verde has advanced two points ahead in Group B.

It is possible that Ghana's loss in the game may not be considered as a big surprise as the difference in their rankings in the world is only 12 spots. This is despite Ghana being champions of Afcon four times previously.

The team from West Africa didn't make it past the group stage in the 2021 finals. On the other hand, Cape Verde managed to reach the last 16 but lost to the champions Senegal. The recent outcomes and performances of Chris Hughton's Black Stars have been unsatisfactory.

During the sporting event, Ofori utilized his left foot to prevent Jovane Cabral from scoring and he also deflected a shot from Rodrigues. Following this, Benchimol assisted his teammate and caused a vibrant atmosphere where the Blue Sharks players jubilated with fans in the audience.

In the early stages of the game, Cape Verde managed to score a goal at the 17th minute. This occurred when Cabral took a powerful low shot, which the opposing goalkeeper, Ofori, managed to deflect. Despite this, Monteiro was in the right place and managed to score the rebound.

Ghana believed that they had scored a goal just nine minutes before halftime. However, the amazing long-distance shot by Majeed Ashimeru was disqualified due to being offside after a very lengthy review by the Video Assistant Referee.

Referee Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo checked his touchline screen and came to the decision that Ransford Konigsdorffer was obstructing Blue Sharks goalkeeper Vozinha's view within the penalty area. This happened shortly after Konigsdorffer had hit the post.

In the 56th minute, Djiku managed to even the score by skillfully maneuvering past his opponent and placing the ball in the goal from six yards away. He was able to do this with the help of a corner from Jordan Ayew. However, Ghana was unable to generate any more successful shots throughout the rest of the match.

Ghana didn't have their key forward Mohammed Kudus due to a minor hamstring injury, and their center-back Djiku saved the day with a timely acrobatic clearance to prevent Bebe's shot from finding the back of the net in the final 18 minutes.

Andre Ayew had a significant moment in African football history when he was handed the captain's armband for the Black Stars in the 62nd minute. This accomplishment also placed him in the same category as former Cameroon defender Rigobert Song and ex-Egypt midfielder Ahmed Hassan, who both participated in eight Afcon finals. Thus, Ayew became the third player to reach this milestone in the tournament's history.

The 34-year-old has played for Swansea, West Ham and Nottingham Forest before and may be able to achieve a new record by scoring at seven different tournaments.

However, after Rodrigues' impressive performance towards the end, Ghana is up against a challenging task against Egypt in their next match in Group B on Thursday at 8:00 PM GMT. The next day, Cape Verde will face Mozambique in their match.

Umpire: Jean Jacques Ndala Ngambo

The game has concluded with Cabo Verde winning 2-1 against Ghana.

The conclusion of the second half has arrived, with Ghana earning only one point and Cabo Verde securing a total of two points.

Gilson Benchimol (from Cabo Verde) has committed a foul.

In the defensive half of the field, Mohammed Salisu (from Ghana) has been awarded a free kick.

The shot was unsuccessful. Iñaki Williams of Ghana tried to head the ball from the middle of the field, but it went too high. Osman Bukari helped with the play.

Blocked attempt! Ernest Nuamah from Ghana kicked the ball with his left foot from a distance outside the box but it was blocked by the defender. Iddrisu Baba provided the assist.

João Paulo from Cape Verde is awarded a free kick in the defensive area.

Ernest Nuamah (from Ghana) committed a foul.

Gilson Benchimol (from Cabo Verde) committed a violation.

In the section of the blog, it states that a player named Alexander Djiku from Ghana has been rewarded with a free kick in the defensive half of the field.

The player named Iddrisu Baba from Ghana got really close to scoring a goal with a header from the box's middle, but unfortunately, the shot ended up missing to the right side. Gideon Mensah helped him by providing a cross, but it wasn't enough to secure the point for their team.

Gilson Benchimol (from Cabo Verde) committed a foul.

Gideon Mensah from Ghana has earned a free kick while in their defensive position.

Garry Rodrigues from Cape Verde was given a yellow card because he celebrated excessively.

The player named Osman Bukari has been brought on to the field to take the place of Jordan Ayew during the game in Ghana.

Score! Cabo Verde has taken the lead with a fantastic shot from Garry Rodrigues. Using his right foot, he shot from the center of the box and the ball went straight through the middle of the goal. Credit goes to Gilson Benchimol for assisting Rodrigues. This puts Ghana behind with a score of 1-2.

Pico, from Cabo Verde, has been awarded a free kick within their own half of the field.

Bad play committed by Iñaki Williams from Ghana.

The shot taken by Garry Rodrigues from Cabo Verde using his right foot at the center of the box was stopped by the goalie, who saved it in the bottom left section. Kenny Rocha gave the assist.

Logan Costa (from Cape Verde) committed a violation.