The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has canceled a planned international friendly against Morocco, citing a shortage of available players due to injuries. The match was scheduled for October 4 at the Grand Stade de Tanger. The GFA informed the Moroccan federation of the withdrawal and apologized for the late cancellation and disruption caused. This decision comes after Ghana's 4-2 defeat to The Gambia in their 2027 AFCON qualifier.
Ghana's poor performance in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers has added to the urgency of the situation. The team lost their opening group game 2-0 to Côte d'Ivoire and followed up with a 4-2 loss to The Gambia. These back-to-back defeats have left the Black Stars without a single point from their first two matches. The GFA's decision to cancel the friendly has raised concerns about the team's preparedness for upcoming matches.
The injury crisis affecting the Black Stars has been a significant challenge for coach Carlos Queiroz. Several players suffered injuries, prompting the GFA to withdraw from the Morocco friendly. African football expert Micky Jnr reported that the GFA cited the injury crisis as the main reason for canceling the fixture. The GFA has been working to address the squad's fitness concerns before their next competitive fixtures.
Morocco will now face a different opponent, with Mali stepping in to replace Ghana. The Malian Football Federation confirmed that their previously scheduled friendly against Tunisia had been called off, and the Eagles of Mali will travel to Morocco for the new encounter. The match is set to be played at the Grand Stadium of Tangier at 6:00 pm GMT.
The cancellation of the Morocco friendly has turned the focus back to Ghana's 2027 AFCON qualifier campaign. The Black Stars' attention now turns entirely to repairing a campaign that has faltered badly in its opening stages. Ghana's next competitive fixtures are against Somalia, scheduled for November, giving Queiroz a short window to restore confidence and address the squad's fitness concerns.
Despite the setbacks, Ghana still has a chance to qualify for the 2027 AFCON. The team has four matches left and can collect a maximum of 12 points, keeping their qualification hopes alive if they improve their results. The GFA and coach Carlos Queiroz will be working to regroup and reassess the team's strategy ahead of the upcoming matches.
The Ghana Football Association has officially informed the Moroccan federation of the withdrawal and has apologized for any inconvenience caused. The GFA is working to address the challenges facing the team, including the injury crisis and poor results in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. The team's performance will be closely watched in their upcoming matches against Somalia in November.
Key points
- The Ghana Football Association canceled the Morocco friendly due to a shortage of available players caused by injuries.
- Ghana's poor performance in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers has raised concerns about the team's preparedness for upcoming matches.
- Despite setbacks, Ghana still has a chance to qualify for the 2027 AFCON with four matches left and a maximum of 12 points available.
