L-R: Thomas-Asante, Benjamin Asare and Jordan Ayew featured in Ghana’s loss against Nigeria
GhanaWeb Feature by Benjamin Sackey
The Black Stars’ performance against Nigeria unveiled the brilliance of some players, while others failed to live up to expectations.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Black Stars in the semi-finals of the Unity Cup at the GTech Community Stadium on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, advancing to the tournament final.
This result marks Ghana’s first defeat to Nigeria since 2006, ending a 19-year unbeaten streak against the Super Eagles.
The Black Stars will now face Trinidad and Tobago in the third-place playoff, while Nigeria advances to meet Jamaica in the final on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at the same venue.
This GhanaWeb Sports feature dissects the positives and negatives from the game regarding some players’ performances.
Jordan Ayew
Black Stars captain Jordan Ayew did not have the best game despite creating some decent chances, but they were not enough to find the back of the net.
The Leicester City attacker missed a clear chance that he could have easily tapped into the goalpost to level the score.
The skipper was found holding the ball for too long at some point without being productive, which delayed the team’s transition during counter-attacks.
Razak Simpson
Nations FC defender Razak Simpson was found wanting on several occasions, as he seemed nervous at the initial stages of the game.
The defender was unable to clear the ball in the box, giving Nigeria’s Cyriel Dessers the space to shoot the ball into the net for the opener.
Simpson, who seemed to have lost concentration, scored an own goal when a free-kick was delivered into the penalty box.
Brandon Thomas-Asante
Coventry City striker Thomas-Asante resuscitated the Black Stars’ attack in the second half, constantly threatening the Super Eagles’ defense.
His continuous push paid off as he scored the consolation goal in the 70th minute after latching onto a cross to score.
With Asante’s brilliant performance, he is expected to be part of the Black Stars squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Benjamin Asare
Accra Hearts of Oak goalkeeper Benjamin Asare put up a decent performance despite conceding two goals in the first half of the game.
Although the goals were not primarily his fault, he made some crucial saves to keep Ghana in the game and prevent an embarrassing scoreline.
Caleb Yirenkyi
The FC Nordsjaelland player was deployed at right-back in the second half and adapted seamlessly.
Composed and energetic, Yirenkyi demonstrated strong defensive awareness, making timely interceptions and tracking runs effectively.
His precise passing stood out, contributing to a smoother build-up from the back and helping Ghana dominate stretches of the second half.
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