Jordan Ayew and Lawrence Ati Zigi found themselves in a heated confrontation that required intervention from their teammates after Ghana’s disappointing loss to Sudan.
The two players were seen exchanging words at the conclusion of the match, their frustration boiling over, before teammates stepped in to prevent the situation from escalating further.
Jordan and Ati-Zigi had to be separated following a confrontation at full time. #NhyiraSports pic.twitter.com/bq9VLk2D6l
— COMMUNITY GALA 2024 (@nhyira1045fm) October 16, 2024
Ghana’s hopes of qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) took a severe hit following a 2-0 defeat to Sudan on Tuesday.
Otto Addo’s squad had already faltered in their previous encounter against the Falcons of Jediane, where they were held to a draw at the Accra Sports Stadium despite numerous missed opportunities.
While the Black Stars entered the return leg as slight favorites, they were caught off guard by the hosts in the neutral venue of Libya.
Second-half goals from Ahmed Hamed Mohamed and Mohamed Abdelrahman Yagoub secured a crucial win for Sudan.
Inaki Williams replaced Ayew in the starting lineup, while Ati Zigi retained his position as goalkeeper but was left frustrated after conceding two goals resulting from defensive blunders.
Ayew came on in the second half, but his efforts were unable to halt Sudan’s momentum, as Ghana managed only one shot on target throughout the match.
Details surrounding the altercation between Ayew and Ati Zigi remain unclear, but both players appeared visibly frustrated at the final whistle, as shown in a widely circulated video.
As it stands, Ghana risks missing out on AFCON qualification for the first time since 2004 due to their damaging defeat to Sudan. The Black Stars are still winless in their qualifying group, having accumulated just two points from four matches, and trail both Sudan and Angola by five and ten points, respectively.
