The Black Stars will depart for Côte d'Ivoire today, Wednesday, September 23, ahead of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against the Elephants. Ghana is currently in the same group with three other teams, including Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, and Somalia. Only two teams will progress from the group. The Black Stars have been training in Accra since Monday, with 18 players taking part in Tuesday's session at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Ghana will open its 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign against Côte d'Ivoire in Bouaké on Thursday, September 24. The squad has been hit by a number of withdrawals, with Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo, Baba Rahman, Alidu Seidu, Nathaniel Adjei, and Prince Kwabena Adu unavailable over fitness and injuries. Inaki Williams also announced his retirement from the team.
The Black Stars will return home after Thursday's match to face The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on 27 September. Ghana missed out on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and will be seeking to secure a place at the next edition, which will be staged in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda in 2027. The team will conclude the international window with a friendly against Morocco at the Grand Stade de Tanger on 4 October.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has responded to the growing list of absentees by making several additions to the squad. Jonas Adjetey, Alidu Seidu, Ebenezer Annan, Rockson Yeboah, Rahim Ibrahim, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Mohammed Fuseini, Benjamin Tetteh, and Felix Afena-Gyan were added following the medical uncertainties. However, Seidu has since also become unavailable, further complicating the team's plans.
Coach Carlos Queiroz has set his focus on finding replacements for the withdrawn players. He described the situation as having "a couple of holes in our boat" but said the technical team was working to fix them. Queiroz stressed that Ghana has little time to prepare, with the squad only coming together shortly before the opening qualifier.
The Black Stars' final preparatory training will be held in Bouaké on Wednesday before facing the hosts. The team has been dealing with several withdrawals, and the GFA has said the changes were necessitated by "medical uncertainties presented by some players." Queiroz emphasized that there is no room for great decisions or development, only room to deliver.
The 2027 AFCON qualifier against Côte d'Ivoire is a crucial match for Ghana, and the team will be seeking to secure a positive result. The Black Stars have been working hard to prepare for the match, despite the setbacks. The team's performance will be closely watched by fans and analysts alike.
Key points
- The Black Stars face a crucial 2027 AFCON qualifier against Côte d'Ivoire on Thursday, September 24.
- Ghana's squad has been hit by several withdrawals due to fitness and injuries.
- Coach Carlos Queiroz is focused on finding replacements for the withdrawn players.
