Former Ghana midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has opened up about the heartbreak the Black Stars endured after losing the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final to Ivory Coast.
Ghana had a rocky start to the tournament, losing 2-1 to Senegal in their opening group match. However, they bounced back with a 1-0 victory over Algeria and a 2-1 win against South Africa to secure a spot in the knockout stage.
The Black Stars dominated Guinea in the quarterfinals with a 3-0 win before silencing hosts Equatorial Guinea with another 3-0 triumph in the semis, setting up a highly anticipated final against rivals Ivory Coast.
After a goalless draw in regulation time, Ghana gained the upper hand in the penalty shootout when the Ivorians missed their first two attempts.
But a series of missed kicks from Afriyie Acquah, Frank Acheampong, and goalkeeper Razak Brimah allowed Ivory Coast to mount a comeback, eventually winning the shootout 9-8.
Reflecting on the painful defeat, Agyemang-Badu admitted the team was left shattered.
“We were totally dead after the AFCON 2015 final,” he told Sporty FM.
“I’ve never seen a team lose a penalty shootout after leading 2-0. I still can’t understand what happened,” the U-20 FIFA World Cup winner added.
Since that heartbreaking loss, the Black Stars have struggled to reach another AFCON final. They have suffered back-to-back group-stage eliminations in recent tournaments and failed to qualify for the upcoming 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
