Bance (L), Mweene (M) and Gedo (R) have over the years broken Ghanaian hearts at the AFCON
Ghana’s Africa Cup of Nations history is filled with near misses, painful exits and moments that still sting years later.
Often, those scars are tied to single players, men who rose at decisive moments and turned Ghana’s dreams into regret.
From nerve-rattling penalty misses to late winners and heroic saves, certain players have carved their names into Ghana’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) history, not for uplifting the Black Stars, but for delivering moments of heartbreak or frustration on the continent’s biggest stage.
Here’s a look at some of the most memorable.
Aristide Bancé (2013)>
The 2013 AFCON semi-final between Ghana and Burkina Faso remains one of the most dramatic games in the competition’s history.
Locked in a tense battle, it was Ghana that struck first through a Mubarak Wakaso penalty.
However, Aristide Bancé, tortured Ghana’s defense all night before equalizing for Burkina Faso just on the hour mark and sending shockwaves through the Ghana camp.
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Bancé’s goal forced Ghana into chase mode, turning pressure into panic.
Although the Black Stars later played with a man advantage, the psychological damage had been done.
Burkina Faso eventually triumphed on penalties, knocking Ghana out and marching on to their first-ever AFCON final.
Bancé’s name became inseparable from that heartbreak, the man whose goal tilted the tie away from Ghana when it mattered most.
Kennedy Mweene (2012)
If there is one moment that still makes Ghanaian fans wince, it is Asamoah Gyan’s missed penalty in the 2012 AFCON semi-final against Zambia. At the heart of that moment stood Kennedy Mweene.
With Ghana awarded a crucial first-half penalty, Gyan stepped up, carrying the hopes of an entire nation.
Mweene guessed right, dived brilliantly and saved the penalty, instantly flipping the emotional balance of the match.
Ghana never recovered. Zambia went on to win 1-0 and later lifted the trophy in one of football’s most emotional stories.
Mweene’s save was not just a stop; it was a turning point that denied Ghana a place in the final and cleared the path for Zambia’s fairy-tale triumph.
Reinildo Mandava (2023)
Few moments in recent AFCON memory have stung Ghanaian fans more than Mozambique’s dramatic comeback against Ghana in AFCON 2023.
With Ghana leading 2–0 and seemingly cruising to victory, Mozambique staged a stunning late fightback, sparked by Reinildo Mandava.
Mandava, normally known for his defensive work, first conceded a penalty that gifted Ghana a second goal, only to head home the equalizer deep into stoppage time, denying the Black Stars a vital win.
His header deep into added time not only shocked supporters but also played a key role in Ghana’s exit from the tournament.
Alain Mosely Nkong (2008)
Back in AFCON 2008, Cameroon’s Alain Mosely Nkong delivered one of the most painful defeats in recent Ghanaian history.
In the semi-final clash hosted in Accra, Nkong’s strike in the second half gave Cameroon a 1–0 win over hosts Ghana, dashing the Black Stars’ hopes in front of an expectant home crowd.
Nkong’s goal was a classic cup-tournament moment, a single, decisive strike that shifted a nation’s momentum and sent Cameroon through at Ghana’s expense.
Though he may not be as widely discussed today as some others, his contribution that night left a lingering memory for Ghanaian fans.
Mohamed Nagy Gedo (2010)
Perhaps no single goal has hurt Ghana more at the AFCON than the one scored by Egyptian striker Mohamed Nagy, better known as Gedo.
At the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, hosted in Angola, Gedo emerged as the tournament’s top scorer, largely from the bench and delivered the decisive goal in the final against Ghana, handing Egypt a 1–0 victory and the continental crown.
Gedo’s late winner was a masterclass in timing and opportunism and it stood as Tantalus for Ghana: so close to crowning a squad brimming with talent, yet denied by a super-sub whose name lives in the minds of many Black Stars supporters.
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