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Ghana's Kwesi Appiah dissects his nation's defeat to Cape Verde in the group stages of Afcon 2023.

Speaking to John Bennett on the Word Football at Afcon podcast, the forward said: 鈥淥ur expectations do not match the reality. We are really excited before the tournament, really hopeful we are going to do something and go far and then we have an opening game like this.

鈥淚t is a shock for us really because at least we should be taking a point and (then) move on, but to suffer a defeat like that (in) such sloppy circumstances late on, it just doesn鈥檛 sit right for me and it just doesn鈥檛 feel good.鈥�

Cape Verde upset Ghana with a stoppage-time winner to secure a 2-1 win over the four-time winners.

The West Africans suffered a group stage exit at the 2021 finals, while Cape Verde reached the last 16 before falling to eventual champions Senegal.

Photo: Ghana's forward Antoine Semenyo reacts during the Africa Cup of Nations group B football match between Ghana and Cape Verde at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on January 14, 2024. (Credit: AFP via Getty Images)

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