Nkonkonsa Celebrity Gossip From Africa
The Palancas Negras of Angola were held by the Black Stars to a 1-1 stalemate at the Estadio de 11 Novembro in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Friday night.
Ghana’s hopes of qualifying for the 35th edition of the tournament were crushed by Angola, who equalized with Zito Luvumbo after failing to defend Jordan Ayew’s opening goal for the Black Stars.
An intense tactical battle took place in Luanda with Ghana’s Black Stars taking a narrow lead at halftime. Angola, who had already secured their spot in the AFCON tournament, prevented Ghana from taking control of the game.
The Palancas Negras had difficulties making a strong impact in the offensive, staying relatively quiet in their attacks. Despite playing aggressively and focusing on offence, Ghana had only a few good chances to score goals.
Ghana received a free kick in the 18th minute, which was a game-changer. Jordan Ayew confidently took a shot into the top-left corner, leaving Neblu no chance to save and giving the Black Stars the lead.
Angola quickly counterattacked, resulting in a penalty being awarded when Gideon Mensah fouled Zito Luvumbo in the box. Yet, Manaf Nurudeen, Ghana’s goalkeeper, stepped up with an outstanding save to prevent the equalizer and preserve the lead. The Black Stars successfully handled Angola’s high pressure to end the first half with a 1-0 lead.
The Black Stars showed better play in the second half, attacking aggressively to find a crucial goal. Nevertheless, they were unable to take advantage of the limited chances they had.
Angola, on the other hand, controlled the ball with a cautious playing approach and took advantage of a fantastic pass from the left in the 64th minute. Zito Luvumbo scored with a powerful header to tie the game against goalkeeper Nurudeen.
Exactly four minutes later, Ghana initiated a rapid counterattack. Jordan Ayew passed to Ransford Yeboah, who missed a great opportunity to score and put their team back in front.
The Black Stars kept pushing and had another great chance towards the end of the game, but their failure to score proved to be expensive once more. Angola remained strong, managing to maintain the 1-1 draw, ensuring their place in the tournament.
NKONKONSA.com
