Author: Victoria Kwofie
Ghana’s Men’s Hockey Team began their 2025 Hockey Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Egypt on a disappointing note after suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat to rivals Nigeria in their opening Group B match.
The opening two quarters ended goalless, with both sides displaying strong defensive discipline and missing several scoring chances. The intensity of the encounter heightened in the third quarter when Nigeria broke the deadlock, capitalizing on a momentary lapse in Ghana’s defense to take the lead.
Moments later, the Nigerians doubled their advantage, putting Ghana under immense pressure heading into the final quarter.
The Golden Sticks of Ghana, however, showed resilience and pulled one back through Teye Joshua, who converted a well-executed penalty corner to give the West African giants a lifeline. Despite late pressure and several attacking moves, Ghana couldn’t find the equalizer before the final whistle.
The defeat means Ghana will need a crucial victory over Zambia on Sunday to stand a chance of progressing to the semifinals of the continental championship.
