The team arrived in Nigeria via Africa World Airline chartered flight after departing directly from Kumasi in the early hours of Monday.

Last week Friday, both teams drew- 0-0 as none was able to score at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.

Per media reports, the team will train at 5:00pm at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, exactly 24 hours before their reverse encounter with their archrivals, Nigeria.

The winner over two legs will book one of Africa’s five places at this year’s FIFA World Cup to be hosted in Qatar.

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The game against Nigeria will kick off at 5:00pm on Tuesday, March 29, 2022.

According to Joy Sports’ George Addo Jnr the intermittent disruptions in power supply brought the training session of the senior national team to a halt.

Speaking on Joy FM’s News Night, he indicated that the situation was quickly resolved, as the pitch was lighted in no time to enable the team prepare for the second leg of their World Cup play-off against the Super Eagles of Nigeria in Abuja.

“We had power cuts intermittently. It wasn’t over long periods. Maybe, just a minute, some two minutes, three minutes, but the lights went off and on for about four or five times, just reminding us of the soil we are on, as we prepare for this game”, he disclosed.

“All you have heard is true. The lights went out. I was in the press room waiting for Coach Otto Addo to come in to speak, and the lights went on and off. At the same time whilst that was going on, the pitch whilst the Black Stars were training as well as the lights were flashing, disco lights a bit,” he added.

Narrating the occurrence, he stated that Ghanaian journalists who were at the scene laughed off the power cuts; while their Nigerian counterparts wondered about the brevity of the power cuts.

This is because, according to them, power cuts in Nigeria usually take longer to be restored.

But reacting to the development, a Nigerian journalist, Eyitope Kuteyi, who spoke on NewsNight, dismissed claims that the power outage was a sabotage of the Black Stars training session.

According to him, the menace of power outage has been persistent in recent times, and therefore it was not targeted at the visiting team.

The Black Stars of Ghana are in Nigeria for the return leg of their crucial World Cup Qualifiers against the Super Eagles of Nigeria scheduled for today Tuesday, March 29 at the Moshood Abiola Stadium at 5:00pm.

According to the 36-year-old, the unpredictability of the games between Ghana and Nigeria make the tie the best in the Western African region.

“Ghana vs Nigeria games you can’t predict, it’s about the mentality and preparation and that is how one wins. Ghana and Nigeria have had their rivalry long ago,” Asamoah Gyan said as quoted by 442gh.

“Honestly on paper right now, when you look at the statistic, they are ahead of Ghana a bit on paper.”

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Ghana, who are racing for their fourth World Cup appearance will host the Super Eagles at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi on Friday, March 25, 2022, in a bid to return to the Mundial after missing out on the 2018 edition in Russia.

The return game is scheduled to be played at the Abiola National Stadium on Tuesday, March 29.

Asamoah Gyan, who remains the country’s top goal scorer and Africa’s top goal scorer in the history of the World Cup, scored in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations game between Super Eagles and the Black Stars, thus, becoming the last player to have scored in what has been christened “The Jollof Derby”.

The team, which arrived in Kumasi on Tuesday afternoon wasted no time in getting a session in a few hours later at the Baba Yara Stadium.

Some players involved in Tuesday’s session included Kudus Mohammed, Thomas Partey who recently featured in Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Aston villa and Daniel Kyereh.

Black Stars head coach, Otto Addo, opened camp in Accra on Monday evening with seven players present at the light training session.

The team is expected to train on Wednesday and Thursday before the game on Friday 07:30 GMT.

Ghana will play the first leg in Kumasi on Friday 25th March, 2022 in Kumasi with the return leg to be hosted in Abuja four days later.

The winner over two legs will book one of Africa’s five slots for the 2022 World Cup to be hosted in Qatar at the end of the year.

Seven players were present on the first day of training at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday afternoon.

The remaining batch of the players were expected to arrive in the country on Monday evening.

The players, who took part in the training session, included Edmund Addo, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Dennis Korsah, Andy Yiadom, Thomas Partey, Jojo Wollacott and Abdul Manaf Nurudeen.

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Head coach Otto Addo and his two assistants, Didi Dramani and George Boateng took the team through a light recovery training, with Technical Advisor Chris Hughton also present.

The team is expected to train again on Tuesday morning before their departure to Kumasi in the evening where they will continue preparations for the crucial first-leg tie.

In Kumasi, the team will train on Wednesday and Thursday at the Baba Yara Stadium before the game at 19:30GMT on Friday.

The Black Stars will travel to Abuja on March 29 for the return leg game at the Abiola National Stadium.

The world governing body has contracted the best companies in the world to deploy the technology in Cape Coast and Abuja where the two matches will be played between the two top sides.

It will be the first time in the history of both stadiums in Cape Coast and Abuja that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) would be deployed as a measure to avoid any controversies.

Indeed all the matches to be played in the final round of matches for Africa in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers will see the implementation of the VAR after CAF’s “successful use of VAR in 2022 AFCON, CAF Champions league, CAF Confederation Cup and the CAF Women’s Champions League”.

In the meantime, Fifa president Gianni Infantino made it clear at the 13th Extraordinary General Assembly meeting in Cairo last year that: “The final phase in the African World Cup qualifiers will witness an improvement in refereeing performances because of VAR.”

“We have introduced VAR to aid referees as it can be difficult to become an official. It’s our job to provide the referees with the proper environment to perform to their highest level.”

Refereeing in Africa has been in the news following a controversial penalty given the nation of Ghana in a match against South Africa by Senegalese referee Ndiaye Maguitta.

The Black Stars booked their place in the play-off round after an 1-0 win over Bafana Bfana as an outcome on Cape Coast Stadium. Cape Coast Stadium.

The teams in the playoffs are Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo, Mali, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal and Morocco.

Five of them following their playoffs, will be representing Africa at the finals next year, which will be held in Qatar.

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The VAR implementation is to ensure fairness when officiating between West African rivals.

In addition to fierce rivalry there is a lot at stake in these playoffs with prize money that is at least $12 million each of the five teams that are set to represent Africa in Qatar in the coming months.

The Black Stars will host the Super Eagles on March 25 in Cape Coast.

The reverse game will be played in Abuja four days later.

The Black Stars will host the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the first leg of the World Cup play-offs in March.

The former Asante Kotoko CEO, James Kwesi Appiah, has chosen Kwesi Appiah as the best candidate for the Black Stars job.

Speaking on Accra-based radio station, Happy FM, he noted that the Ghana FA should select a coach who has fair knowledge about the team, which Kwesi Appiah fits in perfectly.

“We need to bring Kwesi Appiah back because he has a rich history with the national team,” he claimed.

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The Ghana Football Association has begun the search for a new coach after Milovan Rajevac was sacked on Wednesday following the Black Stars’ abysmal and shameful exit from the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.

The Rennes star described his debut performance as ‘beyond embarrassing’ but expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the African continental tournament.

The youngster who made all three appearances for Ghana in the group stages stated on Twitter that the 2021 AFCON is a tough experience with so many to learn from.

“My first dance at AFCON started on the wrong foot with performances as a team beyond embarrassing but very grateful for my debut in this prestigious tournament,” he said in a social media statement,” part of tweet read.

Ghana will return to action on March, 23 to play against the Super Eagles of Nigeria for the playoffs of the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers.

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Ghana will draw one of Algeria, Senegal, Morocco, Nigeria or Tunisia in the final round of the playoffs.

The West African country has missed out on the last edition of the World Cup in Russia and will be hoping to make a return to the global showpiece next year under Serbian trainer, Milovan Rajevac.

With the playoffs scheduled for next year March 2022, Langabel has urged officials of the Black Stars to approach the playoffs like they did for the 2014 World Cup.

“We will qualify but we have to do our things well. There are so many ways of killing a cat,” he told Asempa FM in an exclusive interview.

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“I cannot say everything on radio but if we do the same thing we did against Egypt in that 6-1, we will qualify,” he said.

The famous Great Olympics supporter also added that there were a number of things that went on behind the scenes to ensure Ghana’s qualification to the 2014 World Cup, hence authorities with the Black Stars must consult experts for assistance.

“We did so many things before we qualified for the 2014 World Cup. It was a secret movement. I’m begging my brother Kurt Okraku and all the executives, this is not a joke.

“We need to work hard because we are going to the lions den. If we don’t do things well, we’ll be swallowed,”he added.

SAFA lodged the protest after Bafana Bafana suffered a 1-0 defeat against the Black Stars in the final round of games of the 2022 World Cup qualifier in early November, accusing the referee of manipulation.

However, SAFA’s failed to prove their claims of match-fixing, hence FIFA decided to rule in favour of Ghana.

“The protest lodged by South Africa has been declared inadmissible by the Disciplinary Committee as it did not meet the requirements under art. 46 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and art. 14 of the Regulations of the Preliminary Competition of the FIFA World Cup 2022.”

FIFA added, “the decision is subject to appeal” and opportunity for SAFA to provide the right evidence if they have any.

Reacting to the decision by FIFA, the General Secretary of the Ghana FA, Prosper Harrison Addo said SAFA knows nothing about football, adding that he believes they wanted to just frustrate Ghana.

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“The South African Football Association knows nothing in football and this case clearly shows how incompetent they are; they want to frustrate Ghana and we are focused on the Afcon and the FIFA World Cup playoff,” he told Kumasi-based Light FM.

“The GFA and Ghanaians will be happy about this FIFA ruling against the South Africans and I believe this decision will silence them because they disrespected us and this decision will let them respect Ghanaians,” he added.

Ghana booked a place in the playoffs following an Andre Ayew lone strike in the first half.

The Black Stars are seeking to return to the Mundial having missed out on the last edition in Russia in 2018.

The draw for the playoffs has been scheduled for January 2022.

The South Africa Football Association [SAFA] lodged a complaint with FIFA, alleging they were robbed following their defeat to Ghana in the crucial match early this month.

Bafana Bafana suffered a 1-0 defeat to the Black Stars in the final Group G games staged at the Cape Coast Stadium early this month.

Andre Ayew scored the only goal of the game through a spot-kick to book a place in the playoffs.

South Africa want a replay and the main match official, Senegalese Ndiaye Maguette suspended for awarding a ‘dubious’ penalty against them.

FIFA referred the matter to Disciplinary Committee who commenced investigation last week.

Broos, who took charge of Bafana in May this year, feels that Ndiaye will only be suspended and a rematch will not be ordered by Fifa.

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“Fifa met on Tuesday,” Broos told HLN Sportcast. “We expect a decision in the course of this week. It’s not just about the penalty kick, it’s about the whole game. The referee made 71 decisions, 47 of which were foul. The analysis has shown that. And 90 per cent of those 47 wrong decisions were against us.”

“You have to be able to prove something like that in black and white. Was he bribed? Wasn’t he pressured? Or was he just having a really bad day? The numbers are there, but is that enough for FIFA? I personally think that it will remain with a suspension for the referee and that we should not count on a replay.”

Bafana finished second on the Group G standings – level points with Ghana and with the same goal difference, who won the group due to superior goals scored.

Fifa has confirmed that the draw for the third round will take place in January 2022 while the matches will be played in March in the same year.

Black Stars recorded a 1-0 win over the Bafana Bafana to book a place in the playoffs of the competition.

Senegalese referee, Ndiaye Maguette, awarded the four-time African champions a spot-kick after Daniel Amartey was held in the box by South Africa defender Rushine De Reuck

Captain of the team, Andre Ayew, confidently converted the spot-kick. The win propelled Ghana to emerge as Group G winners.

But Gyan, who has scored more goals (six) than any African at the World Cup, said the Leicester City man went down too easily.

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“I think the incident was a bit casual. From where I sit and how I saw it I think Daniel Amartey went down too easily but the referee was closer to the spot and probably had a better view of the situation,” Gyan told Asempa FM on the Sports Nite Show.

“Remember the tempo of the game also could have influenced the referee’s decision to award the spot-kick,” he added.

The penalty decision forms part of the protest lodged by South Africa with FIFA in which they claim the match was manipulated in favour of the Black Stars.

FIFA Disciplinary Committee is expected to deliver its verdict in the coming days to bring finality to the issue.

The victory for the Black Stars saw them qualify for Africa’s World Cup play-offs at the expense of Bafana Bafana, who needed a draw to progress.

The South African Football Association (SAFA) has asked for the match to be replayed after lodging a complaint with Fifa, citing among other things a spike in betting activity during the game.

“When I was on the pitch it looked like it was a penalty, but I have watched it back it was a little bit soft,” the Ghana defender told World Football on the BBC World Service.

“But it is football and I have had them given against me plenty of times and it is one of those things and it was about actually scoring the penalty which we did.

“I have been the person who has just touched him and the other person has just fallen over. At the moment I know we won the game and that’s that.”

The 29-year-old added that he and his Ghana teammates have not been discussing the issue in light of recent comments from both Safa and the Ghana Football Association.

“We have a WhatsApp group but nothing has really been said in it and I haven’t really been following it – it has been pretty hectic and I have been travelling a lot and been in training and have to crack on with the game (for Reading against Nottingham Forest) on Saturday,” he said.

Yiadom feels that the return to Ghana through Milovan Rajevac was a good move for all concerned.

“It has been really good and I think he knows the logistics of Ghana and I think that’s helping and everyone’s taken to him and it is a good appointment,” he insisted.

Ghana is one of 10 African nations to qualify for next March’s play-offs which will decide the continent’s five representatives at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has said that the date for the draw will be revealed next week following its Executive Committee meeting in Cairo on 25 November. Caf confirmed the teams will be seeded according to the Fifa rankings.

November’s Fifa rankings for teams in the playoffs:

• 20 Senegal
• 28 Morocco
• 29 Tunisia
• 32 Algeria
• 36 Nigeria
• 45 Egypt
• 50 Cameroon
• 52 Ghana
• 53 Mali
• 64 DR Congo

SAFA has lodged a complaint to FIFA accusing the Ghana FA of match-fixing and bribery following their 1-0 defeat to the Black Stars in the final round of the game of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

In a press conference organised by SAFA on Wednesday, November 17, Danny Jordaan, who is the association president, stated they had consulted the CAF President after the Ghana game.

“Even though the CAF President is from South Africa, we don’t want to be opportunists and use him but of course we called him right after the game and he assisted us but we are not using him in all this,” he said.

Speaking at the Women’s Super Cup launch on Thursday, Mr Okraku said that he expects Mr Motsepe not to take sides in the matter.

“I want to tell Danny Jordaan, that he cannot drag the president of the Confederation of African Football [Patrice Motsepe] into this. Motsepe is the president of CAF and not the president of SAFA. He doesn’t call the shots as SAFA – we voted for Motsepe to represent a truly democratic African Confederation Football and not to take sides.

“And for Motsepe that I’ve known him he will never take sides, and I don’t expect him to take sides,” the GFA president added.

The GFA, while responding to the allegations, also took time to suggest that their counterparts have peddled falsehoods and were probably inept in their preparations for the game.

Below is the FA’s full statement:

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has closely monitored developments in South Africa, both by the Football Association and the media after the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final Group “G” game between the four-time African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Winners and three-time World Cup participants and World Cup Quarterfinalists, the Black Stars, and the South Africa national team, Bafana Bafana at the Cape Coast stadium.

It is shocking, irresponsible, and outright disrespect to note that our colleagues from South Africa Football Association (with whom we have good relationships and mutual sporting respect) have chosen to spread falsehoods to the media rather than project the real picture of events before, during and after the game.

First and foremost, before the game itself, lies about the distance between Accra and Cape Coast were released to the extent that it was alleged that the South African football team took nine (9) hours to make the journey from Accra to Cape Coast after they arrived in Ghana. Then again, the official handle also tweeted during the match that the South African team was being intimidated, molested, and robbed in Cape Coast.

The truth:

The truth is that the distance from Accra to Cape Coast is only 79 miles (127 km). Unfortunately for our colleagues, Cape Coast is a tourist city and many people across the world have been to Cape Coast and would be shocked to hear such a blatant lie from no less a Football Association than the SAFA. Our colleagues forgot that we defeated them 2-0 in Cape Coast in November 2019 in a Cup of Nations qualifier.

The total driving time is just over two (2) hours and not 7 or 9 hours. Kindly note that the South African Team was led to Cape Coast by Police escort and motorcade. In fact, the South African team got to Cape Coast before the Black Stars got to Cape Coast. We urge every South African and all well-meaning football followers to google the distance from Accra to Cape Coast.

Thus, the SAFA started creating a foundation for a mountain of lies even before the game day itself.

Out of respect and sportsmanship, the Ghana Football Association kept its focus on the match itself unlike our colleagues at SAFA. Then again, these allegations cast a doubt on the good job done by the officials of the South African Embassy in Ghana. In fact, FIFA and its regulations does not allow any team to travel on road for six (6) hours or nine (9) hours within a country. One may ask, why didn’t the SAFA report this to FIFA or CAF. (The FIFA standard is 200 km warrant a flight).

Even though we believe that it is within the South African Football Association’s right to call for an investigation, if they feel that certain factors contributed to their loss, we wish to state that the way and manner lies, and allegations have been thrown into the public space has been very irresponsible leading to injury and violence.

We wish to state categorically that the allegations are frivolous, baseless and lack merits and should be treated with all the contempt that it deserves. These allegations from South Africa Football Association are nothing but a planned scheme and a calculated attempt to shift focus from the defeat, divert attention from their failure to qualify for the play-offs and unjustly dent the hard-earned victory of the Black Stars.

Is it not sad that even innocent Ball Boys (Ball Retrievers) were not spared in the allegations?

In fact, the Ghana Football Association will not allow the SAFA to visit its incompetence on it through these allegations. Is it not strange that the Coach of the South African National Team thought that FIFA will use Head-to-Head when two teams end the group stage with the same number of points and had to be corrected by the media?  The South African team actually thought Ghana needed a 2-0 margin to qualify when Ghana needed any win to qualify per the FIFA Regulations on the qualifiers.

Again, is it not strange that when the Technical Team of the Black Stars was analysing each player of the South African team (including their goalkeepers and goals they have conceded and how they respond during penalty kicks) SAFA says competitor analysis is alien to the game of football.  Maybe they should check from the top teams of the world. This is what The Black Stars do for the preparation of every match, as it is expected of every professional football team setup.

Indeed, it has become necessary to respond to the baseless allegations because it is imperative for us (GFA) to protect the integrity of football in Africa and across the globe.

It is also worth noting that everyone associated with the game last Sunday (Home and Away Teams) worked independently, free of any form of intimidation or fear. In fact, the official photographer and media team attached to the Bafana Bafana worked with maximum collaboration and with great assistance from the media team of Ghana, as were all other officials.

The Black Stars is a globally accepted brand that would not indulge in any act to bring the game into disrepute. Ghana has been to three FIFA World Cup Tournaments and remains the only African country in history to win the FIFA World Youth Championships in 2009. We worked very hard for the victory against South Africa. The Black Stars played well and won on merit without any form of support from the officiating officials.

The Ghana Football Association call on the South African Football Association to responsibly accept defeat and show respect to the Black Star’s achievement on the field, for this is not the first time Ghana has defeated South Africa and this will not be the last time. In fact, every South African knows the pedigree of the Black Stars in football, a reason the team has a lot of following in South Africa. The GFA will continue to project the positive image of football and protect the integrity of the game across the globe.

The GFA wishes to state clearly that we will always operate within the FIFA Regulations and focus on our next match which is a play-off against any of the qualified teams we may be paired against.

As a good sporting Association, we know that Bafana Bafana gave it their all but lost to a better team (and must be forthright to tell the South African public this). We wish Bafana Bafana and our colleagues at SAFA better luck next time.

NB

We wish to state that we have received correspondence from FIFA and would respond appropriately within the ambit of the FIFA Regulations.

The Leicester City centre-back was at the centre of the tussle that eventually resulted in the penalty kick that was eventually converted into a goal by Black Stars Captain, Andre Ayew.

Many South African’s have since protested against the penalty decision, with the country’s FA announcing on Monday that it had filed a complaint at FIFA and CAF for the match to be reviewed.

Commenting on the incident, Amartey, who was on the receiving end of the crucial foul, said he was pulled by De Reuck.

According to sports journalist Saddick Adams, Amartey told him the South African defender only left him when he was falling to the ground.

“After the game, I asked Amartey about the penalty, he told me he was pulled,” Saddick Adams posted on Twitter.

“He said the South African defender held his hand at the back and pulled him but left him when he was falling to the ground. The camera didn’t capture that.”

Meanwhile, Andre Ayew has also commented on the penalty, saying it was a legitimate call.

He even added that the Black Stars deserved at least two more penalties during Sunday’s tense game against Bafana Bafana.

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“We had more clear chances. Yes, it was a tough game. South Africa came in and needed a draw,” he said at the post-match press conference.

“We should have scored more. There was a clear penalty on Jordan as well so I think it was the other way around.

“There should have been two penalties,” he added.

Ghana has joined the likes of Algeria, Senegal, Morocco, Nigeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Mali, Ghana, DR Congo, and Cameroon for the playoffs.

The draw is set to be held in December 2021, with the specific date yet to be officially communicated by CAF.

The two-legged play-off round will take place in the next international window (March 24 and March 29, 2022).

The Black Stars inflicted a 1-0 win over the Bafana Bafana at the Cape Coast Stadium to secure a playoff spot as the country aims to return to the Mundial, having missed out on the last edition in Russia.

Andre Ayew’s strike from the spot was enough for the West African powerhouse to book qualification to the final World Cup playoffs.

Bafana Bafana, however, needed a draw to reach the third and final round of African qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, but Ghana won with a controversial penalty.

Rushine de Reuck, who conceded the penalty, speaking during a presser organized by the South African Football Association [SAF] on Wednesday , raised concerns over the legitimacy of the decision and the display of the officiating team from Senegal, headed by referee Maguette Ndiaye.

He has insisted the referee and the ball boys had rehearsed on how to cheat the Bafana Bafana in the crucial game.

According to him, he felt the opportunity to get a good result against the Black Stars was taken away due to poor officiating.

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“It’s been a tough few days, not only for myself but for everybody who is part of Bafana Bafana,” the Mamelodi Sundowns star told the media.

“To go out in the way that we did was very painful. We put ourselves in a good situation and no one had given us a chance to do so well. It was very tough for us to go out the way we did.

“Obviously, it was a very big game, wanting to win for the country to qualify for the next round. We were all ready, we were all excited. You’re playing against top players who play in the Champions League and the Premier League.

“This is what you want for yourself, to test yourself against the very best players in the world. We did that but it felt like the opportunity for us to get a result was taken away from us because of the decisions that were made against us.

“It was so obvious. It felt like the game was rehearsed. Everybody knew what was going on from the referees to the players, the Ghanaian players and the ball boys even. It was very tough for us to see what was happening.

“Even in the first 10 minutes of the game we already saw that we weren’t going to get anything right but we continued to fight and we had moments in the game to capitalise, but we were robbed, never given a fair chance.

“As a player, I feel we deserve a second chance. It was heart-breaking, to lose in that way broke me. I want to say thank you to the supporters and the encouragement that I got over the last few days,” he added.

However, the South African Football Association has since lodged a formal complaint to FIFA against N’Diaye, accusing the official of bias.

Ten African teams qualified to the final round of qualifiers with five places to fight for.

Those five qualification places will be decided by five two-legged play-off matches due to take place in March.

The 10 qualified teams include Ghana, Egypt, Algeria, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia.

The best five ranked teams in the FIFA rankings were seeded to pot 1 as the others were left unseeded in pot 2.

Ghana, currently ranked 7th in Africa, missed out on pot 1 alongside Egypt, who are ranked 6th on the continent.

Pot 1  

Senegal  

Morocco  

Algeria  

Nigeria  

Tunisia

Pot 2  

Egypt  

Ghana  

Mali  

Cameroon  

DR Congo

Teams from the same pot can’t face each other, therefore, the Black Stars will draw one of Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco or Nigeria in the playoffs.

The draw for the playoffs is set to take place on December 18 with the games being played in March next year.

All seeded teams will play their first-leg matches away, meaning Ghana who find themselves in pot 2 will play their second-leg game away from home.

Bafana Bafana needed a draw against the West Africans on Sunday to reach the third and final round of African qualifying, but Ghana won 1-0 with a controversial first-half penalty in Cape Coast.

Safa chief executive Tebogo Mothlante said South Africa were “robbed” by “questionable decisions” made by the Senegalese officiating team, which was headed by referee Maguette Ndiaye.

The pivotal moment came when Black Stars midfielder Daniel Amartey went down following what appeared minimal contact from defender Rushine de Reuck, who was booked for his challenge.

The result meant Ghana finished above South Africa in Group G on goals scored and progressed to Africa’s play-offs next March.

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“The match officials have decided the game, which is not what is supposed to happen,” Mothlante added.

A statement said: “Fifa has received a complaint from the South African FA in relation to this matter and will review it.”

South Africa believe a precedent was set five years ago when Bafana Bafana were forced to replay a 2018 World Cup qualifier after a referee was found guilty of match manipulation which benefited them.

Bafana Bafana had originally beaten Senegal 2-1, but Fifa later concluded that Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey “clearly took two wrong decisions” to facilitate “a minimum number of goals to make certain bets successful”.

The errors included the award of a penalty when Senegal’s Kalidou Koulibaly was adjudged to have handled the ball, despite replays showing it had hit his knee.

Fifa took the unusual step of ordering the game to be replayed. South Africa lost 2-0 as Senegal qualified for the World Cup in Russia.

In the matchday five games against Ethiopia at the Orlando Stadium, Milovan Rajevac and his charges failed to keep their momentum of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

The initial projections had suggested that Ghana needed a two-goal victory over South Africa to qualify after they were held by the Ethiopians.

With the players and technical team’s hope seeming to be lost due to the results, Andre Ayew, who is the captain of the team, gave an impassioned speech to his teammates with the head coach, Milovan Rajevac and his assistants looking on.

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Ahead of the game against Bafana Bafana, the Al Sadd forward cautioned his teammates they were not handed call up for jokes and further asked anyone who didn’t believe the team could qualify to “go home” when they return to Ghana.

“We’re not here to joke. And anyone who is not ready and doesn’t believe that we can win 2-0, when we get to Ghana, you can go home. Clearly, because we’re going to the World Cup,” Andre Ayew said.

“So if someone jokes, if you know you don’t have the heart; when we land in Ghana and you say you’re going to listen to what Ghanaians are going to say, take your things and go home. We’re going to win and we’ll qualify. So relax, calm down.”

Andre Ayew, however, led by example by scoring the only goal in the decider against South Africa in the final Group G fixture at the Cape Coast Stadium to finish top of the group.

The Ayew brothers both started as the Black Stars recorded a 1-0 win over the Bafana Bafana to book a place in the playoffs.

Andre was the match-winner after expertly converting a first-half penalty after Daniel Amartey was fouled in the box.

Jordan hasn’t scored at club and national level in almost a year and once again drew blanks against Bafana Bafana.

However, Andre leapt to the defense of his younger brother and crowned him as his man of the match in Sunday’s game.

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The Al Sadd winger said despite not scoring, Jordan was everywhere on the pitch and delivered an unbelievable performance.

“Jordan was unbelievable in the game. Am I the only one who saw him to be Man of the Match?

“If we had two Jordans on the pitch, things would have been different,” he said during a post-match press conference.

Meanwhile, Andre marked his 100th international appearance during Sunday’s World Cup qualifier against South Africa.

The 31-year-old now joins Asamoah Gyan as the only two players who have played a century of matches for the Ghana national team.

Andre Dede Ayew’s expertly taken spot-kick in the 33rd minute was enough to hand Ghana a place in the playoffs to chase for a slot in the Mundial next year in Qatar.

“Congratulations to the Black Stars for topping Group G to qualify for the World Cup play-offs following a hard-fought victory over South Africa,” he said.

Going into the game, the Bafana Bafana lads only needed a draw or avoid defeat having topped the group with 13 points to progress to the next stage, but were denied the opportunity by Ghana away from home.

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He said, “Sorry to Bafana Bafana for missing the play-off by a whisker.”

Ghana advanced over South Africa with a goal advantage and would be among the 10 countries that would slug it out in the play-offs.

The Black Stars’ qualification for next year’s Mundial suffered a blow when they failed to beat Ethiopia on Thursday, drawing 1-1 with the Walias at the Orlando Stadium.

As it stands, South Africa are sitting at the top of Group G following their 1-0 win over Zimbabwe.

However, Ghana, who are three points behind, could still top the group if they manage to beat Bafana Bafana in the last group game in Cape Coast on Sunday.

Rajevac admitted that his side wasn’t good enough against Ethiopia but said they’ll play the South Africa game like a final.

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According to him, the team is focused and will do everything possible to qualify for the play-offs of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

“We had some problems in defence especially today. We made some mistakes so after all, everything will be decided on Sunday so for us it’s important to win our next match on Sunday with a two-goal difference if we want to qualify for the final round of the qualification for the World Cup,” the Serbian said.

“Definitely everything will be decided on Sunday. This is what we expected before so the last match will be like a final match, a deciding match to take us to the next round,” he said.

The game has been scheduled to kick off at 19:00GMT at the Cape Coast Stadium.

Kick-off is at 9pm CAT.

South Africa has put themselves in a strong position to advance into the next and final round of qualification after they defeated Zimbabwe 1-0 at home on Thursday. The result – secured by a first-half goal from Teboho Mokoena – means Bafana Bafana have a three-point lead over nearest chasers Ghana.

Only a defeat at the hands of the Black Stars will prevent South Africa from becoming one of the 10 teams in the playoff round next year, though no game against the West African heavyweights should be taken for granted.

And coach Hugo Broos has expressed his belief that his team will be better for the clash in Cape Coast, arguing that their showing against Zimbabwe left much to be desired.

“I am happy with the result, but not the performance,” explained Broos. “The opponent was more aggressive, they were better on the ball and we were a little bit soft today, I don’t know why. Lucky for us that it was 1-0 and they did not score, because they had chances also.”

He added, “We are in a good position to go to Ghana, but we have to know that the performance has to be much better on Sunday, because we play against a much better team also.”

Ghana relinquished all initiative in the group when they could only draw 1-1 away to Ethiopia on Thursday. The Black Stars had the game by the scruff of the neck after Andre Ayew’s beautiful opening goal, but they ignored several warning shots from the Walia Ibex before conceding to Getaneh Kebede.

This leaves the West African heavyweights needing a home win over South Africa to secure a spot in the next round – or a second World Cup Qualification failure in succession will be their fate.

“Everything will be decided on Sunday, so it is important that we win our next match with a two-goal difference if we want to qualify for the next round,” said Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac.

“We have to concentrate on the following [SA] game and do what it takes to win that game.”

In head-to-head stats, Ghana and South Africa have met in 15 matches dating back to 1994. Bafana Bafana have five wins compared to four for the Black Stars, while six games have been drawn. The teams’ Matchday 2 meeting in Group G back in September saw South Africa claim a 1-0 home win in Soweto thanks to a late strike from Bongokuhle Hlongwane.

The Black Stars were shockingly held to a 1-1 draw against the Walias in the matchday five games of the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers on Thursday.

The team, after taking the lead, lost control of the game allowing the Ethiopians to dominate the game, especially in the second half.

The stalemate means the Black Stars need to secure any form of a win against South Africa in the final Group G games on Sunday.

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But according to Dr Tamakloe, who is a Board Member of Hearts of Oak, Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko players would have played better against Ethiopia.

“What the Black Stars did yesterday, Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak players would have done better,” he said on Asempa FM.

“It is about time we stop depending on big names when it comes to call-ups,” he added.

The Black Stars will host Bafana Bafana, who sit on top of Group G at the Cape Coast Stadium at 19:00GMT.

The team was hoping to continue their fine start under Milovan Rajevac in the matchday five games of the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers on Thursday.

However, the four-time African champions were held to a 1-1 draw game against the Walias at the Orlando Stadium.

Having failed to qualify for the last edition of the Mundial in Russia in 2018, the Black Stars are seeking to return to the global showpiece.

However, the draw against Ethiopia means Ghana must secure any form of a win against South Africa in the final Group G game on Sunday at the Cape Coast Stadium to be able to book a place in the playoffs.

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But according to Mr Gyamfi, Ghanaians will not forgive President Akufo-Addo should the Black Stars fail to show up at the World Cup next year.

“Ghanaians will not forgive Akufo-Addo if Black Stars fail to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar,” he told Ekosii Sen on Asempa FM.

“The players have done their best so far but I think we can’t afford to miss this world Cup. 

“We failed to qualify in 2018 under Akufo-Addo and I don’t think Ghanaians will forgive him if we fail to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. 

“This is a resit for Akufo-Addo and his government but should he fail this time around, we will forgive him,” he added.

The game on Sunday has been scheduled to kick off at 19:00GMT.

Ghana was shockingly held to a 1-1 draw game by the Walias at the Orlando Stadium.

As things stand, South Africa, after beating Zimbabwe sits on top of Group G with three points ahead of Ghana.

Black Stars will need a win against the Bafana Bafana in their final group game on Sunday to secure a place in the playoffs.

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From the official FIFA World Cup 2014 Regulations stated in rule 49, paragraph 5:

The ranking of each team in each group shall be determined as follows:

a) Greatest number of points obtained in all group matches;

b) Goal difference in all group matches;

c) Greatest number of goals scored in all group matches.

In reference to section C above, any form of a win for the Black Stars in respect to goals scored will help the team qualify for the playoffs.

The head coach of Black Stars, Milovan Rajevac is likely to make changes after a poor performance in the previous game. 

The Black Stars will return home today from Johannesburg ahead of the match on Sunday.

The game has been scheduled to kick off at 19:00 GMT.

Ghana will be hoping to return to the global showpiece having missed out in the last edition in Russia in 2018.

After Ghana’s shaky start of the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers, CK Akonnor, together with his assistant coaches were sacked.

The Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association [GFA] announced the re-appointment of the Serbian trainer on a one-year renewable contract.

The 67-year-old started his second spell with wins over Zimbabwe in the matchday three and four games last month.

However, the Black Stars were held to a 1-1 draw game against Ethiopia at the Orlando Stadium in the matchday 5 games on Thursday.

The draw has left many Ghanaians questioning Ghana’s chances of qualification for the World Cup after South Africa secured a 1-0 win over Zimbabwe at the FNB Stadium to boost their chances of qualification for the playoffs.

However, Dr Tamakloe believes nothing has changed under Rajevac since taking over the team.

According to him, the Serbian has not made an impact since his return, adding that the team needs a different coach.

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“I was not convinced with the re-appointment of Milovan Rajevac and till now he has not brought anything to the team,” he said on Asempa FM on the Ultimate Sports Show.

“I was not impressed with any player on the pitch against Ethiopia and not even the coach [Milovan Rajevac]. He has brought nothing to the team compared to what we had in the past.

“How do you relax after taking the lead in the first half and allow the Ethiopians to come at you?

“The Ethiopians outclassed us and we must admit that. We were poor and it was shocking.

“For me, I think we need a different coach. It has been the same problem over the years and we need to resolve this,” he added.

The Black Stars will host South Africa at the Cape Coast Stadium on Sunday in the final Group G games.

The Black Stars went into the game with the aim of securing all three points to keep their chances of qualification alive.

However, after 90 minutes of football, Rajevac and his charges were held at the Orlando Stadium by the Walias in the matchday 5 fixtures of the qualifiers in Group G.

Getaneh Kebede scored in the second half to cancel out Andre Ayew’s superb opener in the first half.

The result leaves Ghana trailing Bafana Bafana by three points ahead of their final day showdown in Cape Coast on Sunday in the final group games.

“First, I would like to congratulate my players for fighting very hard. We were expecting a tough match today and I want to congratulate the Ethiopians for a very good performance, they deserved the result,” Rajevac said at the post-match press conference.

“We had some problems in defence and we made some mistakes. But everything will be decided on Sunday [against South Africa]. It is important that we win by two clear goals if we want to make it to the playoffs.

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“Of course, the draw has distracted us a bit but we have to forget about it and think of the final match.

“Even if we won Ethiopia today, we would still need to beat South Africa on Sunday and so, we have to give our best, gather the troops and give a good performance in the last match.”

Ayew opened the scoring for Ghana in the 22nd minute, curling a free-kick into the net after Richmond Boakye-Yiadom was brought down outside the box.

In the second half, Kebede drew his side level, finishing off a swift move after Joseph Aidoo was dispossessed in a dangerous area.

The Black Stars now need to win against South Africa to book a place in the playoffs. Ghana are eyeing a return to the World Cup after missing out on the 2018 finals in Russia.

On their last appearance at the global showpiece, the Stars suffered elimination in the group stage, finishing bottom behind Germany, Portugal and the USA at Brazil 2014.

Ghana was hosted at the Orlando Stadium on Thursday.

The Black Stars were hoping to keep their fine start under Milovan Rajevac after recording a double win over Zimbabwe last month.

However, after 90 minutes of action, the four-time African champions were held to a 1-1 drawn game.

The draw means Ghana has moved level with leaders South Africa on 10 points but the latter will play Zimbabwe tonight at 7:00 pm at the FNB Stadium before travelling to Ghana for the final round of games.

After the game, Ghanaians took to social media to react to the team’s poor outings against Ethiopia.

The Black Stars who sit 2nd with 9 points in Group G will be hosted at the Orlando Stadium at exactly 1 pm Ghana time.

Ghana needs a win at all cost as that will give the country a realistic chance of topping the group as South Africa prepares to play Zimbabwe later this evening.

Captain Andre Ayew has returned to the squad after being dropped to the substitute bench in the last game against Zimbabwe in Harare.

Also, striker Richmond Boakye Yiadom who surprisingly had a call up after two years away will lead the attack for Ghana.

He will be supported by Andre Ayew with Jordan Ayew and Kamaldeen Sulemana starting on the wings.

Below is the Black Stars squad for the tie against Ethiopia:

• Jojo Wollacot
• Andrew Yiadom
• Baba Rahman
• Joseph Aidoo
• Daniel Amartey
• Idrrisu Baba
• Mohammed Kudus
• Jordan Ayew
• Andre Ayew (c)
• Richmond Boakye-Yiadom
• Kamaldeen Sulemana

Fifteen players trained in Accra on Monday as the team starts preparations for the final two games of Group G in the World Cup qualifiers.

The Black Stars trained on Tuesday morning ahead of the trip to Johannesburg. Ghana is hoping to make a return to the World Cup after missing out in the 2018 edition in Russia.

A win over Ethiopia and South Africa will guarantee Ghana a place in the play-offs.

Full Squad:

• Goalkeepers: Joseph Wollacott (Swindon Town), Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St.Gallen), Manaf Nurudeen (Eupen), Richard Attah (Hearts of Oak).
• Defenders: Andy Yiadom (Reading FC), Philemon Baffour (Dreams FC), Baba Abdul Rahman (Reading FC), Montari Kamaheni (Ashdod), Daniel Amartey (Leicester City), Alexander Djiku (Strasbourg), Joseph Aidoo (Celta Vigo), Ismail Abdul Ganiyu (Asante Kotoko).
• Midfielders: Baba Idrissu (Real Mallorca), Mubarak Wakaso (Shenzhen F.C), Edmund Addo (Sheriff Tiraspol), Mohammed Kudus (Ajax Amsterdam), Daniel Kofi Kyere (FC St. Pauli).
• Wingers: Andre Ayew (Al Sadd), Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace), Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Dreams FC), Kamal Deen Sulemana (Rennes), Samuel Owusu (Al Fayha).
• Strikers: Richmond Boakye-Yiadom (Beitar Jerusalem), Caleb Ekuban (Genoa).

Meanwhile, Jonathan Mensah is injured, Thomas Partey is injured while AS Roma youngster, Felix Afena Gyan is unavailable for the game.

The Group G encounter will take place at the Orlando Stadium on Thursday, November 11, 2021, at 15:00Hrs GMT.

The 28-year-old is yet to link up with Ghana national team for the final round of 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers due to a groin injury that is being monitored by Arsenal.

Partey missed Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Watford in the Premier League on Sunday because of the injury.

Partey has been named in the Black Stars 28-man squad for the games against Ethiopia and South Africa this week.

He has not travelled to meet up with the squad yet as both club and country do not want to risk aggravating a possible groin issue.

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Partey is unlikely to play in Ghana’s match against Ethiopia on Thursday at the Orlando Stadium, but he could be used for the game with South Africa on Sunday at the Cape Coast Stadium.

A decision on that has not been made yet and will take place once more is known about the midfielder’s groin problem.

Ghana has already had 15 players link up ahead of their World Cup qualifiers and they played in a friendly against Division One League side Golden Kick yesterday.

Ghana won the match 5-1, with Crystal Palace forward Jordan Ayew getting on the scoresheet. Further players are due to join the squad before they depart for Johannesburg to face Ethiopia.

Patey, who missed the first two games of the qualifiers due to injury, returned with two goals in the double-header against Zimbabwe last month. The back-to-back wins revived Ghana’s hopes of qualifying for the final round.

Partey recorded a goal in each of Ghana’s last two qualifying games against Zimbabwe.

The Black Stars will depart Accra with a chartered flight.

Ghana will be hosted at the Orlando Stadium on Thursday by the Walias. The game has been scheduled to kick off at 15:00GMT on Thursday, November 11.

Some 15 players opened camp on Monday at the Accra Sports Stadium to prepare for the game.

They include Joseph Wollacott, Manaf Nurudeen (Eupen), Richard Attah (Hearts of Oak), Philemon Baffour (Dreams FC), Joseph Aidoo (Celta Vigo), Ismail Abdul Ganiyu (Asante Kotoko), Mubarak Wakaso (Shenzhen F.C) and Edmund Addo (Sheriff Tiraspol).

The others are Andre Ayew (Al Sadd), Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace), Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Dreams FC), Samuel Owusu (Al Fayha), Richmond Boakye-Yiadom (Beitar Jerusalem), Benjamin Tetteh (Yeni Malatyaspor) and Caleb Ekuban (Genoa).

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Meanwhile, Head Coach Milovan Rajevac has invited Montari Kamaheni of Ashdod FC to replace Gideon Mensah of Bordeaux.

The left-back suffered bruises on his left ankle during Saturday’s French Ligue 1 clash against PSG.

The rest of the players are expected to team up with the playing body before the team leaves the shores of Ghana.

Meanwhile, Thomas Partey, is expected to miss the game due to a groin injury.

As part of the team’s preparation, the Black Stars thumped Division One League side, Golden Kick, 5-1 in a low profile friendly match on Monday.

Ghana must win against Ethiopia and secure a win against South Africa in the final Group G games on November 14 to be able to secure a place in the playoffs.

The 18-year-old has been named in Ghana’s squad for the final round of games of the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.

The Black Stars will be hosted at the Orlando Stadium before hosting South Africa at the Cape Coast Stadium in the final Group G games.

The youngster made his senior debut for AS Roma against Cagliari and also featured against AC Milan over the weekend.

Tagoe, who played for Hearts of Oak, believes Afena-Gyan has the potential but the decision to invite him for the games was too early.

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“Felix (Afena- Gyan) is a good lad obviously but we should not rush him. This is not a friendly match but crucial World Cup qualifiers. Just a small issue can destabilise him,” he told Angel TV.

“Let’s leave him to find his feet at Roma. We can invite him later,” he added.

Meanwhile, Roma have congratulated the youngster for his call up to the Black Stars.

“A first international call-up for Felix Afena-Gyan!” AS Roma tweeted with a clapping emoji.

The Black Stars will face the Bafana Bafana on Sunday 14 November 2021 in Cape Coast.

The West African country will engage Ethiopia in the penultimate group game at the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg on 11 November 2021 before hosting South Africa.

The Black Stars sit 2nd on the Group G standings with nine points, one point behind the leaders, South Africa.

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The group winner will advance to the play-off which will take place in March next year.

The draw for the play-off round comes off on 18 December 2021.

Ghana is seeking to return to the Mundial under Milovan Rajevac who has returned as head coach on a one-year renewable contract deal having missed out in the last edition hosted in Russia in 2018.

The Black Stars have played in 2006, 2010 and 2014 in Germany, South Africa and Brazil respectively.

Ethiopia were billed to host the Black Stars in the matchday 5 games at the Bahir Dar Stadium on November 11.

The continent’s football governing body has, however, banned the stadium.

According to CAF, the stadium is unfit to host international matches after its club licensing senior manager, Muhammad F. Sidat recently visited several venues in Ethiopia.

Per the assessment, the stadium failed to meet at least seven of CAF’s requirements which according to the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) included substandard medical facilities, VIP, Media centres and also training facilities.

The EFF has written to the South African Football Association [SAFA] requesting to host the Black Stars at the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg.

But with South Africa sitting on top of Group G with 10 points with the Black Stars having nine points after four matches played, the Ghana FA is demanding that the game against Ethiopia should not be staged in South Africa and demanded fair play.

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Ghana will, however, host South Africa in the final Group G game at the Cape Coast Stadium.

Below is the full statement by the Ghana FA:

Following Ethiopia Football Association’s request to have their World Cup qualifier against Ghana in South Africa, the Ghana Football Association last Friday wrote to the world’s football governing body to ensure that there is fair play in the last two matches.

Ghana and South Africa are separated by one point leading to the last two world cup group matches. It is, therefore, shocking that the Ethiopia Football Association will seek to take their home match against Ghana to South Africa.

The Ghana Football Association has indicated to FIFA that the sporting integrity of the World Cup matches must not be compromised and must ensure that fairness prevail in the remaining two group matches.

The GFA is of the view that it is wrong for a game of this magnitude to be played in a country which is in the same group and in contention for the top spot and urge CAF and FIFA to ensure that fair play is practiced to the latter in this matter.

The Ghana Football Association will continue to engage FIFA/CAF to ensure that the right thing is done so that the competitive nature of the qualifiers is maintained.

Finally, due to the complexity surrounding this match, FIFA/CAF have been urged to confirm as soon as possible the venue of the match to enable us to plan our logistics especially player call ups and visa acquisition for the players who are scattered across the world.

This is because the Confederations of African Football [Caf] has declared the Bahir Sports Stadium in Addis Ababa as not fit for the games.

Ethiopia was expected to host its next World Cup qualifier against Ghana at the Bahir Dar Stadium on November 11.

However, Caf has declared the Stadium unfit to host international games after its club licensing senior manager, Muhammad F. Sidat recently visited available venues in Ethiopia.

Per the assessment, the stadium failed to meet, at least, seven of CAF’s requirements which according to the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) included substandard medical facilities, VIP, Media centres and training facilities.

CAF has, however, given Ethiopia until October 20 to provide a replacement venue for the it upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

On Tuesday, a letter was sent to the Ethiopia Football Federation [EFF] to settle on a new venue for the game, scheduled for next month against the four-time African champions.

Multiple news emerging today suggest that the EFF will host the Black Stars in Nairobi for the game.

Ghana defeated Ethiopia in the first leg at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium in August and will be hoping to complete a double over them.

The Black Stars have nine points and sit second in Group G, one point behind leaders South Africa who will also host Zimbabwe in the other game.

Ghana will host South Africa in the last game of the group on November 17 at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium

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Milovan, who was named the new coach for the team, fielded an unpopular starting lineup against Zimbabwe at the Cape Coast Stadium.

Swindon town goalkeeper, Jojo Wallocot and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku were named the starting line up with Andre Ayew leading the team as skipper for the side.

In the fifth minute, Kudus Mohammed broke the deadlock for the Black Stars with a sweet build-up. The team kept its composure despite the threat of the Warriors.

Kudus came close again but his effort was not enough to merit a goal.

The Black Stars dominated possession with Sulemana and Issahaku constantly threatening the backline of Zimbabwe.

In the second half, Zimbabwe was awarded a penalty after Alexander Djiku committed a foul in his own box.

Musona stepped up and converted the penalty beautifully to level his side up. The Warriors came close to scoring but struck the post.

Jojo Wallocot, who was chosen ahead of Lawerence Atizigi, made some impressive saves for the team to ensure the Black Stars stay charge of the game.

The Black Stars were pressed in their own half but remained calm and controlled the game. Captain of the side, Andre Ayew came close with a header but was not far from the post.

Following the introduction of Baba Iddrisu and Benjamin Tetteh, the team switched tactically pushing Partey forward.

Tetteh was fed in his first seconds after coming but his shot was wide.

The team kept pressing the Warriors and finally had the goal after Partey scored from an Andre Ayew ball that struck the post to make it 2-1 for the Black Stars.

The team continued their impressive performance in the last 20 minutes and Andre Ayew, who played deep in midfield but was pushed up front in the second half, made it 3-1 for the Black Stars on the 87th minute with an assist from Baba Rahman.

The win means Ghana is at 2nd position with six points with South Africa leading the summit with seven points after beating Ethiopia 3-1.

The Black Stars will travel to Harare for the return game on Tuesday, October 12 in the return fixture.

After losing to South Africa at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg in the second group match, the technical team and the playing body were subjected to criticisms by Ghanaians after the players showed lack of desire and fighting spirit.

The pressure from the Ghanaian public led the Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association [GFA] to terminate the contract of CK Akonnor, who was on a two-year deal, together with his two assistants, David Duncan and Patrick Greveraars.

Following the sacking of Akonnor, Milovan Rajevac was re-appointed as the new Black Stars gaffer on a one-year renewable contract. He will be assisted by Otto Addo and Maxwell Konadu.

Milovan has been tasked to steer the country to win the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations [Afcon] in Cameroon next year. Most importantly, the Serbian has also been tasked to qualify the country for the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar next year.

Having missed out on the last edition hosted in Russia in 2018, the government and the country’s football governing body are bent on ensuring Ghana participates in next year’s global showpiece.

The team officially opened camp on Monday but left for Cape Coast on Tuesday where the game will be played.

A statement by the GFA on Tuesday reads that 27 players have been settled on despite naming an initial 32-man provisional squad. Alfred Duncan, Mubarak Wakaso, among other players have been omitted from the squad for the games.

As part of the team’s preparations, the Black Stars played lower side, Soccer Intellectuals on Wednesday and recorded 8-0 win with Kudus Mohammed, Fatawu Isahaku, Kamaldeen Sulemana all scoring.

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On Saturday, October 9, Milovan Rajevac will be in the dugout after 11 years of leaving the shores of the country as the Black Stars host Zimbabwe at the Cape Coast Stadium. Many Ghanaian football fans are eager to see the impact and the blueprint of the new technical team led by Milovan Rajevac.

Despite Mubarak Wakaso scoring the only goal of the game against Ethiopia, the Black Stars were slammed and taken to the cleaners for their abysmal and shambolic display.

Ghana needs to win to keep their qualification hope alive. While the Black Stars play the Warriors, South Africa, who sit top of Group G with four points will play Ethiopia in a doubleheader as well.

During Rajevac’s first tenure, the Black Stars had a ruthless team which could take on any opponent in the world, but this time around the 67-year-old Serbian will miss some of the marquee names that made Ghana a fearsome side under his charge. Nonetheless, he will be expected to inspire the André Ayew-led team to victory on Saturday to put their qualifying campaign back on track.

Saturday’s match will be the seventh clash between the two teams but the first encounter in a World Cup qualifier. Their previous six clashes saw the Black Stars winning three matches, drawing two and losing one.

Ghanaians will remember how the Warriors inflicted a 2-1 defeat on Ghana and denied the Black Stars an opportunity to progress out of the group stage of the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Since that upset, Ghana has never had another opportunity to avenge that painful defeat and this game presents André Ayew and his teammates a fine chance to get their pound of flesh, and more importantly revive their World Cup qualifying campaign, having failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

For Ghanaians, the stakes are very high and it informed the urgency with which Rajevac was appointed last week with a clear mandate to qualify the team for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup and also win the next Africa Cup of Nations.

Rajevac will have at his disposal the finest Ghanaian players to help him execute his mandate. The return of Arsenal star, Thomas Partey, and Ajax Amsterdam’s Mohammed Kudus from injury is a major boost for the Serbian trainer in whom the FA has placed its faith to turn the team’s fortunes around and restore Ghana’s lost glory.

Skipper André Ayew, Jordan Ayew, Daniel Amartey, Mubarak Wakaso, Baba Iddrisu are among some of the top players plying their trade in Europe who Coach Rajevac could rely on for a winning start on Saturday.

The Black Stars badly need a victory in this game and it also provides an opportunity for the Ghana’s players to step up to the plate to convince the new coach they deserve a permanent spot in the team.

The game has been scheduled to kick off at 16:00GMT. The Black Stars will travel to Harare for the return game in three days’ time.

Ghana sits third with three points after two games played.

Ghana will host the Warriors in the third round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers before the return encounter.

Reports on Tuesday went rife that the Ghana Football Association [GFA] had moved the game to the Obuasi Len Clay Stadium amidst disagreement between the GFA and the NSA over accreditation for the game.

But the Director-General of NSA, Professor Peter Twumasi, has said no such change has been communicated to them and that they are ensuring the stadium is in good shape before the game on Saturday.

“As I speak to you, we are currently inspecting the stadium and everything looks in good condition to host the match,” he told Citi Sports.

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“There are so many implications from security to finance that span several weeks before a game of this nature so unless there is some sort of force majeure, you can’t just wake up with four days to a game and change venue,” he said.

The game has been scheduled to kick off at 16:00GMT with the Black Stars aiming to return to winning ways under Milovan Rajevac.

The GFA and NSA both released statements claiming to be responsible for accrediting journalists and officials for the game.

Only one of the entities should work on accreditations. The NSA has been taking care of accreditation throughout the qualifying phase for AFCON 2021 as well as the Ghana vs Ethiopia game at the start of the World Cup qualifiers and deemed the current move by the GFA as an attempt to usurp its powers.

The GFA on the other hand, believe it has always been their responsibility to give accreditation and that they are only reclaiming what has always been their duty.

The Serbian tactician, who took over the reins of the senior national side two weeks ago, is preparing his players for the task ahead – a doubleheader against the Warriors of Zimbabwe on Saturday, October 9 and Tuesday, October 12 respectively.

Milovan Rajevac and his two Assistants, Otto Addo and Maxwell Konadu led an exciting session at the Cape Coast stadium Tuesday.

Some 25 players are currently in camp preparing for the match. Columbus Crew captain Jonathan Mensah, who is expected in Accra tonight, will join the team on Wednesday as the GFA continues to assess Andrew Yiadom’s situation at Reading FC.

Ghana is 3rd in Group G with three points following a win over Ethiopia and a 1-0 loss to South Africa in the first two matches in the World Cup campaign.

The match is scheduled for 1600Hrs kick-off on Saturday, October 9, 2021.

This follows the decision of the technical team to excuse five players from the squad ahead of the qualifiers.

They include Ismail Abdul Ganiyu, Tariqe Fosu Henry, Joseph Alfred Duncan, Mubarak Wakaso and Emmanuel Gyasi. The team is expected to travel to Cape Coast on Tuesday morning – where they will begin training in the evening for the first game on Saturday.

Meanwhile, England-based right-back Andrew Kyereh Yiadom who plays for Reading FC is currently being assessed after picking up a knock on Saturday during a Championship game against Cardiff City and got replaced by Jahmari Clarke in the 80^th minute.

Coach Milovan Rajevac and his men are seeking to get back to winning ways following the one nil loss to South Africa in the second Group G game.

The Black Stars, which began the World Cup qualifying campaign with a 1-0 win over Ethiopia on matchday one, sit second in Group G with three points after two rounds of matches.

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Ghana is scheduled to play the Warriors of Zimbabwe in a doubleheader with the 1st leg set for the Cape Coast Stadium on Saturday, October 9, 2021.

Ghana’s 27-man squad   

• Goalkeepers

Lawrence Ati- Zigi (FC St. Gallen), Richard Atta (Hearts of Oak), Ibrahim Danlad, (Asante Kotoko), Jojo Wallocott (Swindon Town)

• Defenders:  Philemon Baffuor (Dreams FC), Andrew Yiadom (Reading FC), Gideon Mensah (Bordeaux), Baba Abdul Rahman (Reading FC), Daniel Amartey (Leicester City), Joseph Aidoo (Celta Vigo), Jonathan Mensah (Columbus Crew), Alexander Djiku (Strasbourg).
• Midfielders: Thomas Partey (Arsenal FC), Baba Idrissu (Real Mallorca), Emmanuel Lomotey (Amiens), Mohammed Kudus (Ajax Amsterdam), Majeed Ashimeru (RSC Anderlecht), Kofi Kyere (St. Pauli), Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Steadfast FC).
• Forwards: Andre Ayew (Al Sadd SC), Kamaldeen Suleymana (Rennes), Joel Fameyeh (Orenburg), Yaw Yeboah (Wisła Kraków), Samuel Owusu (Al-Fayha FC), Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace), Caleb Ekuban (Genoa), Benjamin Tetteh (Yeni Malatyaspor).

The 55-year-old paid the price for the Warriors’ poor start in group G this month with a 0-0 home draw against South Africa followed by a 1-0 away loss to Ethiopia, leaving them bottom of the table.

A national football association statement said: “It would like to inform the football fraternity and the nation at large that it has amicably parted ways with senior team coach Zdravko Logarusic.”

His exit follows that of Hossam el Badry, who was axed as coach of Egypt and replaced by former Real Madrid manager and Manchester United assistant Carlos Queiroz.

Criticism of Logarusic had grown since last January when Zimbabwe was beaten by Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Mali to make a humiliating early exit from the African Nations Championship.

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Logarusic was hired by Zimbabwe last year, having taken outsiders Sudan to the 2018 semifinals of the African Nations Championship, a two-yearly competition for footballers playing in their country of birth.

Before moving to Sudan, the Croatian worked with clubs in his homeland, Germany, Australia, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Angola.

His three Zimbabwean assistants, Lloyd Chitembwe, Tonderai Ndiraya and former national team star Benjamin ‘Benjani’ Mwaruwari, have also been fired.

Zimbabwe will play Ghana twice in October and South Africa and Ethiopia the following month in other World Cup qualifiers.

They then prepare for the delayed 2021 Africa Cup of Nations from 9 January in Cameroon, facing Senegal, Guinea and Malawi in group B.

Black Stars top players will not be released by their European clubs to play in next month’s clash with Zimbabwe in Harare and November’s game against Ethiopia in Addis Ababa which will seriously damage Ghana’s chances of winning those two games.

That is because Zimbabwe and Ethiopia have been placed on the controversial red list of countries that are at high risk of Covid-19 by some European countries where most of Ghana’s top foreign players ply their trade.

With the Black Stars scheduled to travel to those African countries with the highest risk of Covid infections, their European clubs will not release their Ghanaian players to join the Black Stars because of the stringent restrictions they would face on their return.

If they have to travel to Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, the about nine Ghanaian players would have to be subjected to quarantine upon their return to the United Kingdom and some others countries.

The exclusion of several such top players was a key factor in Ghana’s 1-0 qualifying loss to South Africa on Monday and the situation could be repeated next month and in October if the governments of the European countries don’t revise their rules or red list countries.

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The Black Stars arrived at FNB Stadium in South Africa for the Group A qualifier without seven European-based players, who were withheld by their clubs.

They included Jeffrey Schlupp, Jordan Ayew from Crystal Palace, Andrew Yiadom, Baba Abdul Rahman and Baba Yiadom of Reading, and Daniel Amartey of Leicester City.

Kamaldeen Sulemana, Rennes’ forward, and Daniel Kyereh, German side St Pauli, also failed to travel with the Ghana national team for the same reason.

Now with the Black Stars scheduled to face Zimbabwe on 9 October in Harare and Ethiopia on 10th November, all the top stars that missed the defeat in South Africa are unlikely to be released by their clubs.

The same situation will also apply to the recovering duo of Thomas Partey and Mohammed Kudus as they will also be prevented by their European clubs from playing for the Black Stars in those matches.

This means the Black Stars have to travel to those two away games with their second string side that bombed in South Africa where they were completely dominated and defeated by a young and inexperienced Bafana Bafana side.

Defeats in those two away matches will all but end Ghana’s hopes of qualifying for the global tournament as the Black Stars are already seen to be on the backfoot in the qualifiers after just two matches in Group G.

Ghana will continue their search for a place at the 2022 World Cup by playing home and away matches against Zimbabwe next month.

Only the A-J winners in each group will be able to progress to the final round for Qatar 2022 qualification.

The five remaining African nations will face off in a draw to determine the winners.

The next World Cup, which will be held in the Middle East for the first time, is scheduled to take place between 21 November and 18 December.

The Ghana senior national team suffered a 1-0 defeat to the Bafana Bafana at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg in the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers on Monday.

Following the defeat, several comments have been made with many calling for the sack of the head coach of the side, CK Akonnor.

However, Dr Abbey, speaking in an interview, reiterated that a meeting will be held by the hierarchy of the country’s football governing on Friday to make a decision but insisted nobody can rush the FA to make decisions.

“We went to play a match and it did not go well with us and the team arrived on Tuesday,” he told Asempa FM on the Ultimate Sports Show.

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“The GFA has fixed Friday for a meeting so what is the big deal about it? 

“Everybody has the chance to discuss the game and nothing stops anybody from discussing the game but nobody can rush the GFA into doing anything.

“People must take their time and cool heads must prevail. We have to take our time and analyse the situation properly.

“It is not a panic situation and nobody should press the panic button,” he added.

The Black Stars opened their qualifiers with a 1-0 win over Ethiopia at the Cape Coast Stadium.

Following the defeat against Hugo Broos’ side, Ghana sits 2nd with three points and will resume the qualifying campaign with a doubleheader against Zimbabwe next month.

The senior national team was hosted at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg in the second Group G game against South Africa on Monday.

Ahead of the game, the Black Stars missed the services of some key players including Jordan Ayew, Daniel Amartey, Kamaldeen Sulemana and some other players due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Ghana conceded a late goal which has left them at the 2nd spot with three points.

Akonnor admits their absence was felt and believes authorities could’ve done better in handling the situation, although he opted not to pinpoint that as the reason his team was beaten.

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“Covid-19 affects everybody. We were aware of the situation and we had a plan B,” he said after the defeat.

“FIFA or CAF should’ve taken charge of the situation because some Euro teams are playing and we are deprived of this advantage and it’s not good. But that is not an excuse,” Akonnor added.

The Black Stars opened their qualifiers with a home win against Ethiopia.

Ghana will take on Zimbabwe in a doubleheader in October’s round of qualifiers.

Ghana, after two games played in the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers, sits 2nd in Group G with three points.

The Black Stars recorded a slim 1-0 win over Ethiopia in their opener at the Cape Coast Stadium over the weekend.

However, on Monday, the West African country suffered a 1-0 defeat at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. 

The defeat has left question marks on coach Akonnor and his technical team.

According to Mr Acheampong, Akonnor, 46, does not have the courage and the requisite qualities to lead the Black Stars to the Mundial.

He stressed and predicted that the former Asante Kotoko gaffer will be sacked soon after the doubleheader against Zimbabwe.

“The decision to sack Kwesi Appiah was a mistake but the decision to replace him with C.K. Akonnor was a mistake,” he told Asempa FM on the Ultimate Sports Show.

“The Black Stars have not improved ever since Akonnor took over. From all indications, we are struggling to score goals and it’s a headache.

“We played Mali and Qatar and you could see the problems and those problems have not been solved till now.

“We lost yesterday, after the doubleheader against Zimbabwe next month, C.K. Akonnor would be sacked because he is not the man to lead to the Africa Cup of Nations and the Ghana Football Association [GFA] knows that.

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“With this kind of football, C.K. Akonnor cannot lead the Black Stars to the World Cup because he is not fit for the job,” he added.

However, Isaac Opeele Boateng, who was also on the programme, called for the sack of Bernhard Lippert and Patrick Greveraars, who are the assistant coaches of the team.

“C.K. Akonnor must be allowed to work but Lippert and Greveraars have not added anything to the team,” he said.

“For me, these guys are making the job difficult for C.K. Akonnor. The GFA must sack them.

“Their recommendations for the Black Stars are nothing good for the team because we have the calibre of players in this country they have been consistently recommended for the Black Stars.

“Lippert and Greveraars are making the job difficult for Akonnor and they must go,” he added.

Coach Akonnor has been tasked to end the country’s 39 years trophy drought and book a place in the 2022 World Cup.

The host scored a late goal against Ghana in the second game at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.

The Black Stars had six changes in their squad that defeated Ethiopia 1-0 in the opening game on Friday at the Cape Coast Sports.

Hearts of Oak captain Fatawu Mohammed was handed a starting berth to replace Andy Yiadom in defence while Jonathan Mensah was also picked ahead of Asante Kotoko defender Abdul Ganiu to replace Leicester City defender Daniel Amartey who did not travel with the team.

Former WAFA left-back Gideon Mensah took over the role of Abdul Baba Rahman while Asokwa Deportivo former star Joel Fameye partnered Andre Ayew upfront ahead of Kwame Opoku due to the unavailability of Jordan Ayew.

Yaw Yeboah also came in for injured Jeffrey Schlupp in midfield to partner Wakaso Mubarak and Emmanuel Lomotey who surprisingly started ahead of Baba Iddrisu of Real Mallorca fame.

Ghana started the game on a bright note as they surge forward to look for the opener.

Wakaso Mubarak tried a long ranger by the third minute but the South Africa goalkeeper easily dealt with it.

On the 31st minute, South Africa nearly opened the scoring through Mokoena. The midfielder’s free-kick was spilled by goalkeeper Richard Ofori but the rebound was wasted.

Fameye was lucky not to have been given a red card after his rushing tackle in Mokoena. The former Asokwa Deportivo man was only cautioned with a yellow card.

South Africa was denied the opener by the 37th minute after Percy Tau connected a tailor-measured cross that went past goalkeeper Ofori but the referee ruled it as offside.

After the break, Ofori made another mistake but Percy Tau couldn’t punish him once again.

South Africa finally had the open by the 83rd minute through Bongokuhle Hlongwane.

Ghana pushed men upfront in search of the equaliser but it was too late for Akonnor’s men who rarely created a chance.

Ghana will host Zimbabwe next month at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.

The Black Stars are set to play as guests to Bafana Bafana in a matchday two fixture at Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium.

In what looks like their toughest game on paper, Ghana will be without seven players who featured in Friday’s 1-0 home victory over Ethiopia on matchday one, as well as the duo of Partey and Ajax ace Mohammed Kudus, who both failed to join the camp entirely.

“Because we were aware of the situation, we are well prepared. We knew that the English players might not come here with us because of the Covid situation,” Akonnor said at the pre-match press conference on Sunday.

“So we were prepared coming here and we knew exactly what will happen, so it’s not going to be a complaint.

“It is a match that we are taking it very seriously. When we played Ethiopia there were certain things we needed to do.

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“We have learnt from them and we think and we believe that come tomorrow we will improve and we will be looking forward to a good match and we look forward to getting the three points.

“We are focused and we know exactly what we have to do.”

Partey and Kudus were first to pull out of Akonnor’s provisional 30-man squad due to injury, the latter’s absence is particularly good news for South Africa after he found the back of the net in both the matches he played against Bafana.

The England-based quintet of Crystal Palace duo Jordan Ayew and Jeffrey Schlupp, Reading full-backs Andy Yadom and Baba Rahman and Leicester City centre-back Daniel Amartey were released by the clubs to the Ghana squad but on condition that they will play only against Ethiopia.

With South Africa on the United Kingdom’s coronavirus red list, entry into the country will mean players will have to quarantine upon their return to England for at least 10 days, prolonging their stay away from club action.

The situation was not different back in March when Ghana and South Africa played out a 1-1 draw in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Stade Rennes winger Kamaldeen Sulemana, who also featured against Ethiopia on Friday, has been recalled by his club.