Black Stars coach, Otto Addo has refrained from blaming the state of the Baba Yara Stadium for Ghana’s defeat against Angola in their opening match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

Ghana suffered a setback on Thursday as they were stunned by Angola’s Palancas Negras at the Baba Yara Stadium.

The Black Stars struggled to find their rhythm, particularly in the first half, with the poor condition of the pitch impacting their performance.

Despite a goalless first half, Felicio Joao Milson’s late goal secured a 1-0 victory for Angola.

“I don’t want to blame the pitch for this loss, even though it wasn’t in good condition,” Addo said during the post-match press conference.

“Against Central African Republic, the pitch was also bad, but we won. We just need to do better,” he added.

Ghana will look to recover in their next Group F match against Niger on Monday, September 9, in Morocco, as they aim to revive their AFCON qualifying campaign.

The defeat leaves the Black Stars in third place in Group F with no points.