In the final minute of extra time in Cape Verde’s opening 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) match against Ghana, Gary Rodrigues scored to give his team the victory.
When it looked like the game would end in a draw, the substitution made the difference, making it 2-1.
Jameiro Monteiro took advantage of a rebound to give Cape Verde the lead after 17 minutes, shocking Ghana.
The forward was the first to respond when Ryan Mendes fired a long-range shot, causing Richard Ofori to spill.
After taking the lead, the Blue Sharks persisted in pressing Ghana, but in the last third of the pitch, the Black Stars presented a threat.
Majeed Ashimeru’s incredible strike was disallowed for offside after it was determined that Ransford-Yeboah had obstructed the goalkeeper’s view, preventing him from scoring his first goal for the national team.
To the delight of the Islanders, Ghana was down going into halftime.
Chris Hughton’s men came back from the recess the better side and were rewarded right away with Djiku netting the equaliser.
The Fenerbahce central defender ended up on a Jordan Ayew corner to draw his side levelled.
Once again, Djiku saved the day by making two crucial goal-saving clearances to keep the Black Stars in the contest.
In the last ten minutes of the match, Ofori was called upon to make a save, which he did twice to deny Cape Verde.
But after a moment of careless Black Stars’ defense, Cape Verde retook the lead and humiliated Ghana.
In their next match on January 18, Ghana will take on Egypt in an attempt to avenge the loss.
