AFCON 2027 qualifiers: Carlos Queiroz confident Ghana can deliver against Ivory Coast despite injury setbacks

Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz has promised that the Black Stars will deliver against Ivory Coast despite being without several key players for their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

Ghana begin their Group C campaign against the Elephants at Stade de la Paix in Bouake on Thursday, with Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo and Jordan Ayew all unavailable after withdrawing from the squad because of injuries.

Queiroz expects Ghana to deliver

Despite the absence of the three players, Queiroz says Ghana are determined to put in a strong performance against their West African rivals.

“We didn’t come here to walk in the park. We came here to deliver,” he said.

The Portuguese coach also acknowledged the attacking quality within the Ivory Coast squad while pointing to similar attributes in his own team.

“Ivory Coast have players with a lot of power, creativity, [and] skill, who like to play attacking football. I can say the same thing about these qualities for Ghana.”

Ghana face Ivory Coast in Bouake

The Black Stars will be looking to start their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign with a positive result against the Elephants.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 19:00GMT at Stade de la Paix in Bouake.