Former Ghana international Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has urged the Black Stars to adopt an attacking approach against The Gambia in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers match. Ghana will host the Scorpions at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, September 29. Agyemang-Badu believes Ghana's home advantage should give the Black Stars the confidence to take the game to their opponents. He, however, warns against leaving themselves exposed at the back.
The Black Stars are looking for their first points of the campaign after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in their opening fixture last Thursday. The Gambia, meanwhile, started their qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over Somalia and will arrive in Accra hoping to build on that result. Ghana currently sit bottom of Group C and are looking to end a seven-match winless run in AFCON qualifying.
Agyemang-Badu, speaking to Lawson TV, emphasized that Ghana must be aggressive in search of a much-needed victory. “We are playing at home; Gambia have quality but can’t be compared to that of Ivory Coast, so we need to go all out to win the game,” he said. The former midfielder stressed that the team's attacking approach must be matched by defensive organisation, particularly when committing players forward.
Agyemang-Badu expressed concern about Ghana's tendency to concede goals even when they are in winning positions. “However, we need to be cautious when we open up and go all out because we also concede a lot of goals,” he added. Ghana will be without captain Alexander Djiku, who returned to his club after picking up an injury during the defeat by Côte d’Ivoire.
Head coach Carlos Queiroz has confirmed that 22 players are fit and available for the game, with Ronald Donkor the only remaining doubt. The Black Stars are under pressure to respond after their opening defeat and will be hoping to use home advantage to revive their qualifying campaign. Kick-off at the Accra Sports Stadium is scheduled for 16:00 GMT.
With the Scorpions also arriving with confidence following their opening victory, Ghana will need to combine attacking intent with defensive discipline if they are to secure their first points of the campaign. A win would help Ghana to boost their morale and move up the group standings.
The match against Gambia is crucial for the Black Stars, and Agyemang-Badu's advice to the team is to be aggressive while maintaining defensive solidity. The team's performance will be closely watched by fans and critics alike, as they seek to turn their campaign around.
Key points
- Agyemang-Badu urges Black Stars to adopt an attacking approach against Gambia.
- The Black Stars are looking to end a seven-match winless run in AFCON qualifying.
- Ghana will be without captain Alexander Djiku due to injury.
