Ghana will look to revive their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign when they host Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, with kick-off scheduled at 16:00 GMT.
The Black Stars are under pressure after opening Group C with a 2-0 defeat by Ivory Coast in Bouake last Thursday, leaving Carlos Queiroz’s side without a point from their first match.
Gambia, meanwhile, arrive in Accra with confidence after beginning their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Somalia at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.
The contrasting starts have increased the importance of Tuesday’s encounter, with Ghana needing a positive result to prevent an early setback from becoming more damaging in the race for qualification.
Ghana seeking a response
Ghana’s defeat in Ivory Coast came after a difficult build-up in which several key players were unavailable.
Captain Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Kudus, Thomas Partey, Baba Rahman and Antoine Semenyo all missed the match through injury, leaving Queiroz with a depleted squad.
The Elephants took advantage, with Malick Yalcouye opening the scoring before Franck Kessie converted a penalty to secure victory for the hosts.
The Black Stars now have little margin for error at home, particularly after a disappointing run of results.
Ghana have won only one of their last five matches in all competitions, alongside one draw and three defeats. They have also failed to score in their last two games.
Creating clear opportunities has been another concern. In six of their most recent matches, Ghana have produced more than three chances in only two games, highlighting the attacking problems Queiroz will want his side to address.
The pressure is also heightened by Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco. The Black Stars finished bottom of their qualifying group and will be keen to avoid missing out on the continental tournament for a second consecutive edition.
Having reached the Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup before losing 1-0 to Colombia, Ghana will hope to translate the encouraging aspects of that campaign into a more effective performance against Gambia.
Gambia arrive with confidence
Gambia made the perfect start to their qualifying campaign by beating Somalia 2-1 in Bakau.
Ebrima Colley put the hosts ahead from the penalty spot in the 18th minute before Somalia’s Bilal Njie levelled in the 72nd minute.
Muhammed Badamosi then came off the bench to restore Gambia’s advantage 11 minutes later and secure three points for Johnathan McKinstry’s side.
The victory was significant as it marked Gambia’s first competitive home match at the Independence Stadium since March 2021.
The Scorpions will also be determined to avoid another disappointing qualifying campaign after failing to reach the 2025 AFCON, where they finished third in their group.
McKinstry will therefore be aware of the importance of collecting points on the road as Gambia attempt to build on their winning start.
Tuesday’s fixture will be the first competitive meeting between Ghana and Gambia.
The countries have previously met four times in friendly matches, with Ghana winning three and the other encounter ending goalless.
However, the most recent meeting was in 1993, meaning those results offer little indication of what to expect in Accra more than three decades later.
Team news
Queiroz is expected to make changes to the team that started against Ivory Coast as he looks for a more effective attacking performance.
Meanwhile, the team has been dealt a huge blow with defender Alexander Djiku now expected to miss the game due to an injury.
Semenyo remains unavailable because of injury and will miss the match after also sitting out the defeat in Bouake.
Christopher Bonsu Baah could be left out of the starting XI, while Fatawu Issahaku’s position is also under consideration.
Issahaku conceded the penalty that led to Kessie’s goal against Ivory Coast and struggled to influence the game, losing possession 11 times – more than any other player on the pitch.
Brandon Thomas-Asante could be moved into a wider role to add greater directness, with Felix Afena-Gyan potentially coming into the starting line-up.
Gambia are also expected to field a strong side as McKinstry looks to maintain his team’s winning start.
Captain Omar Colley could partner Sainey Sanyang, Yaya Bojang and Alagie Saine in defence, while Yankuba Minteh is unavailable through injury.
Mahmudu Bajo and Abubakr Barry are expected to continue in central midfield, with Ebrima Colley providing an attacking outlet.
Abdoulie Ceesay could lead the line, with Joseph Ceesay operating behind him.
Possible line-ups
Ghana: Ati-Zigi; Oppong, Adjei, Opoku, Mensah; Yirenkyi, Sibo; Sulemana, Thomas-Asante, Nuamah; Afena-Gyan.
Gambia: Gaye; Sanyang, Colley, Bojang, Saine; Bajo, Barry; Fadera, E. Colley, J. Ceesay; A. Ceesay.
Ghana’s AFCON qualifying form
L
Ghana’s form in all competitions: D-W-D-L-L-L
Gambia’s AFCON qualifying form: W
Gambia’s form in all competitions: W-L-W-L-L-W
With both teams pursuing qualification after contrasting opening results, Tuesday’s meeting promises to be a significant early test for Ghana and an opportunity for Gambia to strengthen their position at the top end of Group C.
