A goal in each half handed 2018 world champions Angola a 2-0 victory over Ghana as the Black Challenge suffered defeat in their opening match of the 2026 Amputee Football World Cup in Mexico on Saturday night.
Marcos Dias opened the scoring with a superb free-kick in the 22nd minute, three minutes before half-time, before Pedro Victor sealed Angola's victory with a second goal in the 48th minute in San Juan de los Lagos.
The defeat marked a disappointing start for Ghana, who arrived at the tournament as back-to-back African champions, having won the continental title in 2021 and retained it in 2024. The team also claimed gold at the 2023 African Para Games.
Despite the setback, head coach Stephen Richard Obeng remains confident of his side's ability to bounce back, insisting that the players would focus on correcting their mistakes rather than dwelling on the opening defeat.
The Black Challenge return to action against Colombia at 18:30 GMT today, Sunday, in their second Group D fixture, before rounding off their group campaign against Iraq on Monday.
Colombia had earlier defeated Iraq 2-0, while tournament hosts Mexico began their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Italy. Angola's win over Ghana completes the Group D results so far.
Ghana still have an opportunity to revive their campaign and secure qualification for the knockout stage.
The 24 participating nations have been divided into six groups, with 16 teams advancing to the Round of 16 — the top two teams from each group and the four best third-placed sides.
The Black Challenge must therefore respond positively against Colombia and Iraq to keep their hopes of progressing in the competition alive.
The tournament runs until November 22, with 24 countries competing for the global title. Ghana will be hoping to recover quickly from their opening defeat and translate their continental dominance into success on the world stage.
