Budding talented striker Jerry Afriyie made an unforgettable debut appearance for the Black Stars, scoring a brilliant strike in Ghana's shocking 2-1 home defeat to Niger in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers.
The Thought FC attacker, who has been a standout performer at the Ghana U20 team, came off the bench on the hour-mark and delivered a masterclass performance against Niger at the Accra Sports Stadium.
His stunning goal in the 67th minute was a reviving moment for the Black Stars, who had been down courtesy a first half header from Ousseni Badamassi who leaped high to connect from a corner kick.
Oumar Sako headed from a free kick in the 92nd minute to snatch the winner with Kudus Mohammed also missing from the spot four minutes later as it finished 1-2 for Niger.
Afriyie's incredible performance against Niger underscored and justified his late call-up to the Black Stars after several players withdrawn due to injuries.
Afriyie’s goal capped off an impressive year for the teenager, following his golden boot-winning performance at the WAFU B Championship and a gold medal with the U-20 team at the African Games in March.
Ghana ended the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with no win, losing three matches and drawing three, leaving the four-time African champions at the bottom of Group F table with just three points.
