In the wake of Ghana’s disappointing 2-0 defeat to Sudan in a critical 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, tensions flared between teammates Jordan Ayew and goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi in the dressing room.
What began as a heated exchange on the field spilled over into the locker room, escalating into a physical altercation that left team officials scrambling to restore order.
Eyewitness reports suggest that the confrontation started moments after the final whistle, when Ayew, visibly frustrated with the result and the team’s overall performance began to rant.
Ati-Zigi who was not amused by some of the words used by Jordan engaged him which resulted in the melee.
Sources claim that Ayew was critical of Ati-Zigi’s positioning and decision-making, particularly on Sudan’s second goal by Abdel-Rahaman. Ati-Zigi, however, did not take kindly to the criticism.
What began as a verbal exchange soon escalated, with both players reportedly squaring up to each other. The situation turned physical as punches were thrown, and teammates had to intervene to calm the situation before it spiraled further out of control.
The tension in the dressing room reflected the frustration and pressure surrounding the team, who are now in a precarious position in the qualifiers. With just two matches remaining against Niger and Angola in November, Ghana’s hopes of qualifying for the tournament hang in the balance, and internal discord is the last thing they need.
Neither the Ghana Football Association (GFA) nor head coach Chris Hughton have commented on the altercation at this time, but sources suggest that disciplinary action may be considered. The team will need to regroup quickly if they are to salvage their qualification campaign, but the dressing room incident raises questions about unity within the squad.
As fans and pundits react to the defeat and the fallout from the post-match incident, the focus now shifts to how the Black Stars can repair the damage both on and off the field before their next matches.
