Ghana lads Majeed Ashimeru and Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer played their first AFCON game after continental heavyweights Ghana suffered a 2-1 defeat to Cape Verde in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The duo were handed a starting berth by coach Chris Hughton but were replaced in the 62nd and 88th minutes, respectively, as the Black Stars kicked off their campaign with defeat.
Cape Verde recorded a last-gasp victory thanks to substitute Garry Rodrigues stoppage time goal despite their low stature as they placed the Black Stars on a pressure scale.
The Black Sharks had broken the deadlock in the 17th minute before Alexander Djiku fired Ghana on level terms within 15 minutes of the restart as Jordan Ayew swung in a corner that Djiku bundled into the bottom corner to restore parity.
Ashimeru had fired a wonderful strike into the net from a distance but his goal was ruled out for offside as Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer stood in an offside position while blocking the Black Sharks shot-stopper Vozinha's path of sight.
Rodrigues climbed off the bench in the 68th minute and scored in the 92nd minute following an embarrassing mix-up at the heart of the Ghana defence.
Ghana will next face a tough fixture against seven-time winners Egypt as they aim to reach the knockout stage.
By: Pascal Amoah
