AFCON 2027 qualifiers: Ghana vs Gambia – Preview, talking points and match details

Ghana host Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, September 29, at 16:00GMT as Carlos Queiroz’s Black Stars look to recover from their opening defeat in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

Ghana were beaten 2-0 by Ivory Coast in Bouake on Thursday and are yet to collect a point in Group C, while Gambia began their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Somalia.

Ghana under pressure after Ivory Coast defeat

The Black Stars endured a difficult start against Ivory Coast, with Malick Yalcouye opening the scoring before Franck Kessie converted a penalty to complete the Elephants’ victory.

Ghana were without several key players for the match, including captain Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Kudus and Antoine Semenyo, who were unavailable through injury.

The defeat extended a difficult run for Queiroz’s side, who have won only one of their last five matches across all competitions, alongside one draw and three defeats.

Ghana have also failed to score in their last two games and will need a significant improvement in attack against Gambia.

The Black Stars are also looking to avoid another setback in their bid to return to the AFCON after failing to qualify for the 2025 tournament in Morocco.

Gambia make winning start

Gambia arrive in Accra with three points already secured after beating Somalia 2-1 at the Independence Stadium in Bakau on Thursday.

Ebrima Colley put the Scorpions ahead from the penalty spot in the 18th minute before Somalia’s Bilal Njie levelled in the 72nd minute.

Muhammed Badamosi came off the bench to restore Gambia’s advantage 11 minutes later and secure victory for Johnathan McKinstry’s side.

The result was Gambia’s first competitive home match at the Independence Stadium since March 2021, when the venue hosted the country’s first-ever AFCON qualification.

Like Ghana, Gambia missed out on the 2025 AFCON after finishing third in their qualifying group, and McKinstry will be looking to build on their positive start.

Ghana hold historical advantage

Tuesday’s meeting will be the first competitive encounter between Ghana and Gambia.

The two countries have previously met four times in friendly matches, with Ghana winning three and the other ending in a goalless draw.

The most recent meeting took place in 1993, meaning the previous encounters offer limited guidance ahead of Tuesday’s qualifier.

Ghana will be looking to make home advantage count as they attempt to put their opening defeat behind them and get their AFCON 2027 campaign back on track.

Possible line-ups

Ghana could start with Lawrence Ati-Zigi in goal, with Kojo Oppong, Alexander Djiku, Jerome Opoku and Gideon Mensah in defence.

Kwasi Sibo could anchor the midfield alongside Ernest Nuamah and Sulemana, while Thomas-Asante is among the attacking options.

Gambia could line up with Gaye in goal, supported by Sanyang, Colley, Bojang and Saine in defence.

Bajo and Barry could feature in midfield, with Fadera, Colley and Ceesay providing the attacking threat.

Prediction: Ghana 4-0 Gambia