The Black Stars fell short in their bid to reach the final of the 2025 Unity Cup, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Nigeria at the GTech Community Stadium in Brentford on Wednesday, May 28, 2025.
Despite optimism surrounding Otto Addo’s squad, early defensive lapses proved costly.
The match began with promise, but Razak Simpson’s early nerves nearly gifted Nigeria an opener within minutes.
The warning signs were clear, and in the 14th minute, Simpson’s slip and failure to clear a routine ball allowed Cyriel Dessers to calmly slot past Benjamin Asare, putting the Super Eagles 1-0 up.
Barely five minutes later, Nigeria doubled their lead. A free-kick into the Ghanaian box caused confusion, and a deflection off Simpson ricocheted into the net, handing the 2013 AFCON champions a commanding 2-0 advantage.
By then, Ghana’s backline — which featured 18-year-old debutant Aaron Essel — was visibly shaken. To make matters worse, Essel had to be withdrawn in the 29th minute, replaced by Ebenezer Annan.
Ghana went into the break trailing 2-0, prompting Otto Addo to reshuffle his team in search of inspiration. Brandon Thomas-Asante replaced Kwame Opoku to inject more urgency into the attack.
The Black Stars pushed for a way back into the game, and their efforts were finally rewarded in the 70th minute when Thomas-Asante bundled in a low cross to halve the deficit — his first goal for Ghana.
The goal sparked some belief in the Ghanaian ranks, but Nigeria held firm in the closing stages to seal their place in the final.
With the win, Nigeria advance to face Jamaica in the final on Saturday, May 31, 2025, while Ghana will battle Trinidad and Tobago in the third-place playoff on the same day.
FKA
