Black Galaxies head coach Kassim Mingle has brushed aside Ghana’s 1-0 loss to South Africa, describing the result as unfortunate while expressing satisfaction with his youthful squad’s performance.
Ghana fell to a second-half strike from Sipho Mbule as Bafana Bafana edged a tightly fought friendly at the Dobsonville Stadium on Tuesday, December 16, 2025 a key tune-up game ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
While South Africa enjoyed greater control of the ball, recording 66 percent possession, they struggled to break down Ghana in the opening half. In contrast, the Black Galaxies showed greater attacking threat, registering more shots on target and even rattling the post in a spirited display.
Mingle, who had just three weeks to prepare the team, insisted the scoreline did not reflect his side’s effort or progress.
“This is a young team we are building, and with limited time, they gave a very good account of themselves,” he said after the match. “We deserved to score, and on another day we would have equalised. It was simply hard luck, but overall I’m happy with what I saw.”
South Africa continued to probe Ghana’s defence as the game wore on, creating moments of danger, but the Black Galaxies remained competitive until the final whistle.
The victory gives Bafana Bafana a timely lift as they sharpen their readiness for AFCON, while Ghana’s home-based side take encouragement from the performance as preparations continue for upcoming African Nations Championship qualifiers, with the fixture falling outside the FIFA international window.
