Ghana will host The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on September 29, 2026, at 4 pm local time in Matchday 2 of the 2027 AFCON qualifying Group C. The Black Stars are looking to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat to Côte d'Ivoire in their opening match. The Gambia, on the other hand, arrives with three points from a 2-1 win over Somalia. This is the first competitive senior meeting between the two West African sides, with previous encounters being friendlies.
The Black Stars were disjointed in their opening match against Côte d'Ivoire, with Malick Yalcouyé scoring just before half-time and Franck Kessié converting a penalty. Ghana offered little attacking threat until late substitutions. Key absences have defined the window, including Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo, Thomas Partey, and Jordan Ayew. Alexander Djiku picked up an injury against Côte d'Ivoire and is expected to miss this game.
Ghana's coach, Carlos Queiroz, has called in extra players, including Jonas Adjetey, Ebenezer Annan, Rockson Yeboah, Rahim Ibrahim, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Mohammed Fuseini, Benjamin Tetteh, and Felix Afena-Gyan. Midfielder Kwasi Sibo publicly called on fans and teammates to regroup. Home support at the recently CAF-approved Accra Sports Stadium is expected to matter.
The Gambia's position is strong, with Jonathan McKinstry's Scorpions starting well in their opening match. Ebrima Colley scored from the penalty spot against Somalia, and Muhammed Badamosi got the winner after Somalia equalised. Yankuba Minteh is among those unavailable for The Gambia. Assistant coach Abdou Jammeh said the available squad is focused after arriving in Accra and preparing for several days.
The Accra Sports Stadium regained CAF certification after renovation work by the National Sports Authority. Media accreditation was tight, with hundreds of journalists approved from a large applicant pool. Pre-match press conferences and open training sessions were scheduled for Monday, September 28. The top two from Group C will qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
A Ghana win would put them on three points, level with The Gambia, while a second loss would leave the Black Stars six points adrift after only two games. The Gambia will treat this as a chance to take points from a historically stronger neighbour on the road. Ghana must show more attacking intent and organisation than in their opening match against Côte d'Ivoire.
The next fixtures for Ghana include a friendly against Morocco on October 4, then November qualifiers against Somalia. The Black Stars' coach, Carlos Queiroz, is under pressure to deliver a result and a performance that reassures supporters after the opening defeat and a World Cup campaign that ended in the last 32.
Key points
- Ghana's Black Stars are seeking their first AFCON qualifying points against The Gambia.
- The match is part of the 2027 AFCON qualifying Group C.
- The Accra Sports Stadium has regained CAF certification after renovation work.
