Ghana, Nigeria and Cape Verde suffer shock defeats in Nations Cup qualifying

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, October 1, 2026

Ghana, Nigeria, and Cape Verde all suffered surprising losses in the 2027 African Nations Cup qualifiers, with Ghana losing 4-2 to Gambia, Nigeria falling 3-0 to Guinea-Bissau, and Cape Verde conceding twice to Rwanda at home. These unexpected results highlight growing parity in African football and raise doubts about the favored teams’ chances of advancing in next year’s tournament.

Former champions Ghana and Nigeria, along with World Cup standout Cape Verde, suffered unexpected defeats on Tuesday during the 2027 African Nations Cup qualifying rounds, raising questions about their prospects for next year’s tournament.

In Accra, Ghana held a two-goal lead before conceding four unanswered goals to Gambia, falling 4-2 in a Group C encounter. Ebrima Colley scored twice for Gambia, whose Mohamed Badamosi and Omar Colley helped level the score at halftime. The result left Ghana at the bottom of their group, having also lost their opening match against Ivory Coast. Ghana’s recent struggles continue after they failed to qualify for the last Nations Cup and narrowly avoided defeat against lower-ranked Somalia in their previous match.

Nigeria endured a surprising 3-0 loss on the road to Guinea-Bissau in Group L. Despite dominating the FIFA rankings—with Nigeria placed significantly higher—the team was outplayed throughout the match. Guinea-Bissau opened the scoring early through Franculino Dju, with Mama Balde doubling the lead in the 66th minute and substitute Alvaro Djalo sealing the victory in stoppage time. Nigeria’s performance was hindered by the absence of their injured star striker Victor Osimhen, and their attempts to regroup were ineffective, with missed opportunities and weak set pieces.

Cape Verde, who made headlines by advancing to the World Cup knockout stages where they were eliminated by Argentina in extra time, suffered a setback at home in Group K. After taking an early lead against Rwanda through Benchimol, they conceded just before halftime and again early in the second half. Rwanda’s seven-match winning streak in qualification remains intact, with Claude Niyomugabo and Elie Tatou scoring to maintain their perfect record. Cape Verde had previously missed the last Nations Cup but qualified above Cameroon to reach the World Cup last year.

Elsewhere, Algeria came from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw in Burundi in Group I, while three other traditional powers recorded away wins. Morocco defeated Lesotho 2-0, Senegal edged Ethiopia 1-0 with a goal by Ibrahim Mbaye, and Egypt secured a commanding 5-0 victory over South Sudan despite resting captain Mohamed Salah. Egypt’s decision to rest Salah was influenced by concerns over injury risks posed by the artificial pitch surface in Juba.

Ivory Coast won 2-0 against Somalia in Group C, with late goals from Yann Gboho and Bazoumana Toure securing the three points. Somalia, ranked well below the Ivorian champions, continued to face challenges, including having to forfeit home advantage due to security concerns.

The qualifying campaign has underscored the increasing competitiveness and unpredictability across African football, as several historically strong teams struggle to assert dominance in their respective groups ahead of the 2027 tournament.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.