The Black Stars have lost their last five penalty shootout in a major tournament after they edged hosts Libya 7-6 to win the 1982 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Ghana were the first country to win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) via penalty shootout in 1982, which was also the first time an African country won a major tournament on penalties.
Ghana drew 1-1 against hosts Libya in the final of the 1982 continent’s showpiece and when the penalty shootout tie breaking exercise was evoked the Black Stars reigned supreme.
The first the time penalty shootout was used to break a tie was in 1980 when Alegria defeated their North African rivals Egypt 4-2 to progress to the final.
The Black Stars have lost every single penalty shootout in a major tournament after the 1982 triumph over Libya, which is a total of five successive defeats.
Ghana would be involved in their first penalty shootout since 1982 in 1992 in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations.
They drew goalless against the Ivory Coast, before the Elephants won 11-10 in what became the longest penalty shootout in the history of the continent’s showpiece. Tony Baffoe who had scored his first kick wasted the second one to hand the trophy to the Ivorians.
In 2015 Ghana was involved in another penalty shootout against Ivory Coast and this time too the Back Stars succumbed to the Elephants after the 120 minutes of action had ended in a goalless.
Despite Ghana scoring their first two kicks, while Ivory Coast had wasted its first two, the four times champion in the end lost the shootout 9-8 and threw away an opportunity to avenge the 1992 defeat in the hands of the Elephants.
In Between, Ghana were held to a one all draw against ten-man Burkina Faso in 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. The Black Stars lost the penalty shootout after the extra 30 minutes 3-2 against the Stallions in the semi-finals of the competition.
The most heart-breaking of all penalty shootouts the Black Stars have been involved took place in South Africa in 2010.
The Black Stars who had dominated play and missed a late minute in injury time spot-kick after Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez’s hand had denied Ghana a winner lost the penalty shootout which followed 4-2.
Ghana failed to emerge as the first African country to reach the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup.
List of Ghana’s penalty shootout in a major competition
1982: (AFCON in Libya)
Final
Ghana 1-1 Libya (7-6pen)
1992: (AFCON in Senegal)
Final
Ghana 0-0 Ivory Coast (11-10 pen)
2010: (World Cup Quarter-Final in South Africa)
Quarter finals
Ghana 1-1 Uruguay (4-2pen)
2013: (AFCON final in South Africa)
Semi-Finals
Burkina Faso 1-1 Ghana
2015: (AFCON Final in Equatorial Guinea)
Final
Ivory Coast 0-0 Ghana (9-8 pen)
2019: (AFCON Final in Egypt)
Round of 16
Ghana 1-1 Tunisia (5-4 on pen)
