Ghana and DR Congo shared the spoils in an entertaining 1-1 draw in their opening Group C encounter, played at a lively tempo and filled with chances, physical battles, and individual brilliance – particularly from Ghana’s standout performer Hakim Sulemana.
The Black Satellites came flying out of the blocks and dominated the opening 15 minutes of the match, carving out early chances in the 9th and 13th minutes. Forwards Aziz Musibau and Opoku were lively in the attack, while Hakim controlled the midfield with authority. However, despite Ghana’s early control, it was DR Congo who opened the scoring in the 16th minute – their first real threat in the match. A swift, incisive move caught the Ghanaian defence flat-footed, and Congo slotted home to take a surprise lead against the run of play.
The goal did little to shake Ghana’s momentum. Musibau missed a big chance in the 21st minute before Ghana equalized through the same player just three minutes later, making it 1-1 in the 24th minute. It was a deserved goal after sustained pressure.
The game balanced out from that point, with both sides enjoying spells of possession. Ghana’s Opoku missed a glaring chance in the 32nd minute, while DR Congo’s Messy Mubundu Manitu [in jersey number 10] impressed with his creativity. The Satellites' Andrews Adjabeng also spurned a gilt-edged opportunity as the half wore on. Congo nearly snatched the lead again just before halftime, but Ghana had the better of the chances in this half overall, including a header over the bar in the 38th minute and another just before the break from Musibau.
The second half of the match was physical, very competitive and saw both teams missing a number of good opportunities. It picked up with an open, fast-paced rhythm. Both teams had chances in the early stages – Ghana saw a chance flagged offside in the 50th, before Musibau again missed a golden opportunity a minute later.
Ghana made their first change in the 59th minute, bringing on Jerry Afriyie for Andrews Adjabeng to inject fresh legs. Congo’s Ibrahim Matobo Mubalu [7] showed flashes of brilliance with his footwork, adding flair to the match. The encounter turned increasingly physical, with Ghana’s Phenyin-Denis Marfo [17] picking up a yellow card in the 66th minute for a tactical foul, adding to DaCosta’s earlier booking.
Opoku missed another key chance in the 70th minute, shooting over the bar from the edge of the area. DR Congo made a double substitution and nearly retook the lead from a well-worked free kick, only for Ghana’s goalkeeper Gidios Aseako to make a sharp save in the 75th minute.
The Congolese continued to exploit space on the wings, while Ghana pushed forward with a flurry of corners around the 79th and 81st minutes, none of which were capitalized on. Ghana made a triple substitution in the 82nd minute, aiming to find a late winner, but it was Congo who threatened more in the final moments.
A defensive lapse from Ghana in the 84th minute almost cost the Satellites, but Goalkeeper Aseako was alert to the threat and thwarted it. Joseph Aidoo [25] was booked in the 87th minute for a reckless challenge. Congo threatened to nick the result towards the end of the match, but they were denied by some heroic defending by the Satellites, who had one final corner in stoppage time but couldn’t make it count.
Ghana's Hakim Sulemana was named Player of the Match. The Ghanaian midfielder was tireless in both attack and defence, dictating play and showing maturity and composure throughout.
In the other Group C opening match, the Central African Republic battled defending Champions to a 1-1 draw in an uncompromising encounter.
Ghana's next match will be on Monday, May 5, 2025, when the Satellites come up against Senegal, in a game where both countries would want to win to brighten their chances of qualifying for the quarterfinals of the competition.