Ghana must respond quickly when they host Gambia in a vital Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Tuesday evening. After a 2-0 defeat away to Ivory Coast last week left them bottom of Group C, the Black Stars are under pressure to deliver their first points of the campaign at Accra Sports Stadium. The defeat, sealed by goals from Malick Yalcouye and Franck Kessie in Bouake, was part of a concerning run of form. Ghana have now lost their last two matches, including a 1-0 defeat to Colombia in a July friendly. Their broader competitive standing also shows difficulty, as they currently sit third in their World Cup qualifying group with four points from three games, a position fans can track on our standings page.
Squad changes expected
Manager Carlos Queiroz is expected to make several changes to his starting lineup, with a full overview of available personnel found on our squad page. Captain Alexander Djiku and Ronald Donkor are injured, joining the unavailable Antoine Semenyo, Mohammed Kudus and Jordan Ayew. Abdul Fatawu, who conceded a penalty against Ivory Coast, and Christopher Bonsu Baah, who was substituted early, could lose their places. Benjamin Tetteh, Augustine Boakye, Jonas Adjetey and Ibrahim Sulemana are all in contention to start as Queiroz confirmed 22 fit players are ready. "We have 22 players ready for tomorrow," Queiroz said. "Those are the most important players of Black Stars. Come here to support them." The team's injury situation, a key factor in these selection dilemmas, is detailed on our dedicated injuries page.
Learning from defeat
The Portuguese coach emphasised the need to move on from the setback. "My view about the football matches. We always win or learn and we learned something in that game against Ivory Coast," he stated. He asked for confidence from supporters ahead of the 4pm local time kick-off. Gambia present a tough challenge, having started their qualifying campaign with a 2-1 win over Somalia to sit second in the group, just behind leaders Ivory Coast. After this key qualifier, Ghana's schedule does not get easier as they travel to Tangier for a friendly against Morocco on October 4. For a deeper look at the numbers behind Ghana's campaign and player performances, our stats section provides comprehensive data.
