TALATONA, Angola — The Black Stars of Ghana have experienced a setback, failing to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since 2004. This development came after their 1-1 draw against Angola in a crucial qualifying match on Friday.

Ghana was in dire need of a victory in this pivotal penultimate group game to maintain their slim chances of reaching next year’s tournament in Morocco. The team, which has a storied history with four Africa Cup championships, had participated in 24 editions of the competition. Only Egypt, with seven titles, and the defending champions, Ivory Coast, have made more appearances, with 26 and 25, respectively.

In front of their enthusiastic home crowd, Angola started strong. However, it was Ghana’s Jordan Ayew, a seasoned player, who put the visitors ahead with a spectacular long-range free kick in the 18th minute. Angola’s M’Bala Nzola had an opportunity to level the score from the penalty spot but was thwarted by Ghana’s goalkeeper, Abdul Manaf Nurudeen, who successfully saved the attempt.

Despite the setback, Angola continued to apply pressure, and in the 64th minute, Felicio Milson assisted Zini, allowing him to score the equalizer. Following this, Ghana found themselves at the bottom of Group F, collecting only three points after five matches. The team now faced the daunting task of needing two victories in their remaining games while also relying on Sudan, currently with seven points, to lose both of their matches.

Earlier in the day, fellow group member Niger provided a measure of relief for Ghana by defeating Sudan 4-0. Looking ahead, Ghana’s next fixture is against Niger, who have mustered four points. Niger could potentially secure a spot as the group runner-up if they win, contingent upon Angola defeating Sudan in their final game. Notably, Niger boasts a superior goal difference compared to Sudan.

As of Friday, Zambia, Mali, and Zimbabwe have booked their spots for the 2025 Africa Cup, while Nigeria, Tunisia, South Africa, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon had already secured their qualifications on Thursday. Nigeria’s advancement was marked by a late equalizer from Victor Osimhen, ending their match against Benin in a 1-1 draw.

Prior to this round of matches, Morocco, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Algeria, Congo, Cameroon, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, and Angola had already confirmed their places in the tournament. With six qualification slots still up for grabs in the 24-team competition, matches will continue through Tuesday.