Ghana will be without two key players for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier away to Ivory Coast on Thursday. Forward Kamaldeen Sulemana and defender Marvin Senaya are both sidelined with injuries, leaving the Black Stars short of options for the Group 1 encounter in Abidjan.
Injury blow for Black Stars
Sulemana is out with a knee injury and is not expected back until October 10. Senaya is also unavailable with a thigh problem, with his return date set for October 20. Their absences come at a difficult time for a Ghana side looking to build momentum after a mixed run of results. The team currently sits third in their World Cup qualifying group with four points from three matches, a record of one win, one draw and one loss.
Recent form a concern
The Black Stars head into this fixture on the back of two consecutive defeats. They lost 1-0 away to Colombia in their last outing on July 4, following a 2-1 loss in Croatia at the end of June. Their overall recent form shows one win, two draws and two losses from the last five games. The team will need to find a sharper edge in attack to improve on a record of just two goals scored in their three World Cup qualifiers so far. Check the team's stats for more detailed performance data.
A tough test awaits
Ivory Coast will provide a stern test, having won three of their last five matches, including a 2-0 victory over Curaçao in June. Ghana's last meeting with their West African rivals was a 0-0 draw in a friendly last year. Securing a positive result away from home would be a significant boost for Ghana's qualification hopes and provide a lift ahead of the next phase of World Cup qualifying. The full schedule of upcoming matches is available on our fixtures page. The match kicks off at 19:00 UTC on September 24.
