Ghana’s Black Stars face another test of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign when they host The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, September 29, following a 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in their opening Group C fixture.
The Black Stars suffered the setback at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké on Thursday, leaving Carlos Queiroz’s side without a point from their first qualifying assignment.
The result has increased the pressure on Ghana to respond against The Gambia, with the home fixture presenting an opportunity for the Black Stars to get their campaign back on track.
Queiroz’s preparations have, however, been complicated by the unavailability of several established players.
Mohammed Kudus withdrew from the squad as he continues his recovery from a lengthy injury lay-off, while injuries have also affected the availability of other key players.
The coach subsequently called up nine additional players, including Jonas Adjetey, Alidu Seidu, Ebenezer Annan, Rockson Yeboah, Rahim Ibrahim, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Mohammed Fuseini, Benjamin Tetteh and Felix Afena-Gyan.
The reshaped squad would now have to regroup quickly, with Ghana unable to afford another setback if they are to make a strong start to their qualifying campaign.
The Gambia, meanwhile, would enter the second round of matches aware of the importance of securing points in a Group C that also includes Côte d’Ivoire and Somalia.
The Gambians are scheduled to face Somalia in their opening fixture on Friday before travelling to Accra for Tuesday’s encounter with Ghana.
Playing at home is expected to provide the Black Stars with a different environment from the difficult atmosphere they encountered in Bouaké.
Queiroz would be looking for a more assertive performance from his players, particularly in possession and in the final third.
Ghana will also need to create more scoring opportunities and be more clinical in front of goal.
The Portuguese coach has emphasised the need to focus on the players available to him, especially with injuries and other availability issues forcing changes to his original plans.
The squad combines experienced players with emerging talents, giving Queiroz different options as he prepares for the home fixture.
The match against The Gambia therefore represents an important early opportunity for the Black Stars to respond to the Bouaké disappointment, improve their attacking output and begin accumulating the points required to progress from the four-team Group C.
Ghana would need to make home advantage count and, most importantly, find the goals that eluded them against Côte d’Ivoire.
The Black Stars host The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, September 29, with kick-off scheduled for 4:00 p.m. GMT.
