Ghana’s chances of qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations are hanging by a thread after the Black Stars failed to win their third game of the qualifying series on Thursday, October 10, 2024.

The Black Stars went into the game against Sudan with the full knowledge that anything other than a win could significantly reduce their chances of making the 2025 AFCON, which will be held in Morocco.

Despite this acknowledgement, the team failed to overcome Sudan, who defended resolutely to pick up a valuable away point at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Below is GhanaWeb’s ratings of the Black Stars players:

Lawrence Ati-Zigi - 6

With Ghana on the offensive for most parts of the game, Lawrence Ati-Zigi enjoyed a free day, but the few times he was called upon, he made his presence felt. He pulled off two good saves to ensure that Ghana did not fall behind in the game.

Alidu Seidu – 8

The fullback was undoubtedly Ghana’s best performer on the day. From recoveries, interceptions, and marauding runs, Seidu was simply outstanding. He received a standing ovation from Ghanaians at the stadium after the game.

Alexandre Djiku – 6

Solid on the ball and in duels. The Turkish-based defender did not appear flustered whenever he was challenged. He was also good at playing out from the back and allowed Ghana to dominate.

Mohammed Salisu - 5

The AS Monaco defender produced a decent performance and appeared more assured with Djiku on the right.

Gideon Mensah – 6

Not much to complain about defensively as he covered his tracks quite well and held the Sudanese defense at bay. However, he could have done better in attack as he rarely made any contributions in that regard.

Elisha Owusu - 7

In the absence of Thomas Partey, Elisha Owusu partnered with Ibrahim Sulemana of Atalanta and did quite well. His ball progression skills were impressive, and he kept the team ticking with his movements and interceptions.

Ibrahim Sulemana – 7

Ibrahim Sulemana was equally good. In possession, he contributed to the movement and was also involved in covering the defense line of Ghana.

Ernest Nuamah - 5

The Olympique Lyon winger was lively, but the final ball was still a problem for him throughout the game. He huffed and puffed and made some decent openings for Ghana, but the decision-making aspect of his game was far from ideal.

Antoine Semenyo – 4

Semenyo came into the game in a rich vein of form, and expectations were high that he would excel, but his performance left much to be desired. He was the chief culprit on a day when most of Ghana’s attackers were wasteful. He missed glorious chances despite his liveliness.

Mohammed Kudus – 5

Mohammed Kudus was not at his usual best in the number ten jersey. The West Ham United forward also missed the biggest chance of the day.

Jordan Ayew – 4

Jordan Ayew was largely passive and did not make any noteworthy contributions to the game.

Inaki Williams – 4

Inaki Williams brought some life to the attack and threatened but was very wasteful.

Fatawu Issahaku - 4

The Leicester winger came on in the second half and did not offer much in the game.

EK