AFCON 2027 Qualifiers: Somalia will go for the result against Ghana – Captain Abdulsamed Abdullahi

Somalia captain Abdulsamed Abdullahi insists the Ocean Stars will approach their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Ghana with the intention of securing positive results.

The two sides meet on Thursday at the Essipong Sports Stadium in Takoradi, with both teams desperate to revive their qualification campaigns after losing their opening two matches.

Somalia suffered defeats against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia, leaving them third from bottom in Group C without a point.

Ghana have endured a similarly disappointing start, losing 2-0 to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké before suffering a 4-2 home defeat to The Gambia.

Despite the quality within the Black Stars squad, Abdullahi insists Somalia will not be intimidated by the reputation or club affiliations of their opponents.

The captain believes his team must focus on their approach and compete for the result rather than make adjustments based on the individual quality of Ghana’s players.

“Maybe they don’t have a good day that day, but we’re still playing against 11 players, and we have the same idea of how we want to go into the game,” he said.

“We try to go for the result, whether there’s a player from a top league or a player who is a bit lesser than the other one. But that doesn’t change anything for us. So, we have it in mind, but we are not changing anything.”

Ghana currently sit bottom of Group C, with interim coach Kim Lars Björkegren under pressure to deliver victories in both encounters.

The return fixture will take place at the same venue on Monday, November 16, as both nations seek to keep their AFCON 2027 qualification hopes alive.