Ghana’s hopes of making a quick recovery in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers have suffered another major setback after the Black Stars were beaten 4-2 by The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday.
The defeat leaves Ghana still without a point after two Group C matches, following the 2-0 loss to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké in the opening fixture. The Gambia, meanwhile, have strengthened their position at the top end of the group after following their opening 2-1 victory over Somalia with another important win.
The match, played at the Accra Sports Stadium, kicked off at 4:00pm GMT, with Ghana entering the contest under pressure to respond to the defeat in Côte d’Ivoire. The Gambians arrived with three points already secured from their opening game.
Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz made changes to his starting team for the encounter, with Benjamin Asare coming into goal while Jonas Adjetey and Felix Afena-Gyan were also brought into the starting lineup. The changes were aimed at providing a response after the disappointing performance against Côte d’Ivoire.
The Black Stars started brightly and eventually broke the deadlock in the 27th minute when Ernest Nuamah converted from the penalty spot.
Nuamah’s opener gave Ghana the confidence they had been searching for, and the home side quickly added a second goal.
Felix Afena-Gyan made it 2-0 in the 33rd minute, putting Ghana in a commanding position and raising hopes among the home supporters that the Black Stars would finally record their first victory of the qualifying campaign.
However, The Gambia responded almost immediately.
Mohamed Badamosi reduced the deficit in the 37th minute by converting a penalty, bringing the Scorpions back into the game at 2-1.
The visitors then completed a remarkable first-half comeback when captain Omar Colley scored in the 42nd minute to level the match at 2-2.
That goal completely changed the momentum of the contest.
Ghana had gone from being two goals ahead to entering the interval with the scores level, while The Gambia suddenly had renewed belief that they could leave Accra with another three points.
The Gambians continued to cause problems after the restart, particularly with their movement in the final third and their ability to exploit spaces around Ghana’s defence.
Ghana attempted to regain control and pushed forward in search of a third goal, but The Gambia remained dangerous on the counter.
The visitors eventually took the lead in the 68th minute when Ebrima Colley scored to make it 3-2.
Colley had already scored from the penalty spot in The Gambia’s opening 2-1 victory over Somalia, and his second goal of the qualifying campaign proved crucial against Ghana.
Ghana tried to respond, with Queiroz making changes to his attacking options. Benjamin Tetteh was introduced at the beginning of the second half, while Ibrahim Sulemana also came on as Ghana attempted to strengthen the midfield and attacking threat.
The Black Stars dominated possession for long periods but struggled to turn that control into enough clear chances.
Available match data showed Ghana enjoying about 71 percent possession compared with The Gambia’s 29 percent, while Ghana recorded nine total shots against six from the visitors. The Gambia, however, had four shots on target compared with Ghana’s three, underlining the difference in efficiency in front of goal.
The final stages became increasingly tense as Ghana searched for an equaliser.
But instead of finding a third goal, the Black Stars conceded again as The Gambia completed the 4-2 victory.
The result represents a painful home defeat for Ghana and leaves the Black Stars in a difficult position in Group C.
Ghana had entered the match knowing that another defeat would leave them with a mountain to climb after losing their opening game to Côte d’Ivoire. The Gambia’s victory now gives the Scorpions six points from their opening two matches, while Ghana remain on zero.
Before the match, Ghana had already been dealing with significant absences. Captain Alexander Djiku was unavailable after suffering an injury during the opening defeat to Côte d’Ivoire, while The Gambia were also without several important players, including Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh.
The Black Stars had also failed to score in their opening qualifier against Côte d’Ivoire, making the two first-half goals against The Gambia a welcome attacking response. But the defensive collapse that followed proved costly.
The match was particularly damaging because Ghana appeared to have taken control after Nuamah’s penalty and Afena-Gyan’s goal.
Instead, The Gambia showed considerable resilience, scoring three unanswered goals after going 2-0 down and turning the match completely around.
The result also continues a difficult opening to Ghana’s 2027 AFCON qualification campaign. The Black Stars lost 2-0 to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké in their first match, with Malick Yalcouyé scoring shortly before half-time and Franck Kessié converting a penalty in the second half.
The Gambia, in contrast, began the campaign with a 2-1 victory over Somalia. Ebrima Colley gave them the lead from the penalty spot before Bilal Njie equalised for Somalia. Badamosi then scored in the 83rd minute to secure the win.
That means the Scorpions have now followed up their opening victory with another three points on Ghanaian soil.
For Ghana, the defeat means the pressure surrounding Carlos Queiroz and the Black Stars will increase significantly, particularly because the team had been expected to use the home fixture to recover from the loss in Bouaké.
The Black Stars will now need to produce a much stronger run in their remaining Group C fixtures if they are to keep their qualification campaign alive.
Match information
Competition: 2027 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers
Group: Group C
Matchday: 2
Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Kick-off: 4:00pm GMT
Venue: Accra Sports Stadium, Accra
Attendance capacity: 40,000
Referee: Kech Chaf Mustapha of Morocco
Half-time score: Ghana 2-2 The Gambia
Full-time score: Ghana 2-4 The Gambia
Goals
27′ – Ernest Nuamah – Ghana 1-0 The Gambia (penalty)
33′ – Felix Afena-Gyan – Ghana 2-0 The Gambia
37′ – Mohamed Badamosi – Ghana 2-1 The Gambia (penalty)
42′ – Omar Colley – Ghana 2-2 The Gambia
68′ – Ebrima Colley – Ghana 2-3 The Gambia
Late second half – The Gambia – Ghana 2-4
The available live match feed confirms the first five goals and had the score at 2-3 after Ebrima Colley’s 68th-minute goal before the later fourth Gambian goal.
Ghana’s starting XI: Benjamin Asare, Kojo Peprah Oppong, Jonas Adjetey, Jerome Opoku, Gideon Mensah, Ernest Nuamah, Kwasi Sibo, Caleb Yirenkyi, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Brandon Thomas-Asante and Felix Afena-Gyan.
The Gambia’s starting XI: Baboucarr Gaye, Alagie Saine, Omar Colley, Yaya Bojang, Joseph Ceesay, Ibou Touray, Abdoulie Sanyang, Abubakr Barry, Ebou Adams, Suleiman Camara and Mohamed Badamosi.
Key match statistic: Ghana had 71 percent possession and nine shots, but The Gambia produced four shots on target from six attempts, demonstrating how much more clinical the visitors were despite having significantly less of the ball.
