How Ghana have fared in their opening AFCON games

This is going to be Ghana’s 21st Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) appearance, so 20 opening games have been played. The Black Stars have won 9, drawn 7 and lost 4 of their openers.

Ghana’s first opening game in the AFCON happened on 24th November, 1963 in Accra: The Black Stars were held to a 1-1 draw by the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia. Wilberforce Kwadwo Mfum became Ghana’s first scorer in the Africa Cup of Nations. His goal which came on the 9th minute tore the net, due to the power behind the shot, before Djedidi of Tunisia cancelled it out.

Ghana’s first victory in an AFCON opening game happened on 12th November, 1965 in Tunisia. The Black Stars walloped the Red Devils of Congo Kinshasa, now DR Congo.

Ghana scorers were Osei Kofi, Ben Simmons 2g, Jones Attuquayefio 2g.

Ironically only Ghana’s West African neighbours have managed victories against them in their opening Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). All their past four defeats in their AFCON openers had come against Nigeria-1984, Nigeria-2006, Ivory Coast-2010, Senegal-2015.

Full list of Ghana’s opening games

24/11/1963 GHANA 1-1 TUNISIA Scorer for Ghana Mfum 9

12/11/1965 GHANA 5-2 CONGO KINSHASA Scorers for Ghana: Kofi 13, Simmons 18,59, Attuquayefio 84,89]

12/01/1968 SENEGAL 2-2 GHANA Scorers for Ghana: [Kofi 63>Mfum 87]

07/02/1970 GHANA 2-0 CONGO KINSHASA Scorers for Ghana [Owusu 29,32]

05/03/1978 GHANA 2-1 ZAMBIA Scorers for Ghana Afriyie 21>Abdulrazik 55]

09/03/1980 ALGERIA 0-0 Ghana

05/03/1982 LIBYA 2-2 GHANA [A] D 2-2 Scorers for Ghana Alhassan 28>Opoku 89]

05/03/1984 NIGERIA 2-1 GHANA Scorer for Ghana Opoku 19]

15/01/1992 ZAMBIA 0-1 GHANA Scorer for Ghana Pele 64]

27/03/1994 GUINEA 0-1 GHANA Scorer for Ghana Akonnor 87]

14/01/1996 IVORY COAST 0-2 GHANA Scorers for Ghana Yeboah 20>Pele 70]