Ghana face Gambia test as 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign continues

The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign continues on Tuesday with a packed programme of fixtures across the continent, including Ghana’s crucial Group C meeting with The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The Black Stars are looking to respond after suffering a 2-0 defeat by Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké in their opening qualifier last Thursday.

Carlos Queiroz’s side have been left with little room for error in their bid to reach the tournament, which will be staged in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 2027.

Ghana will be hoping home advantage can help them secure their first points of the campaign when they face a Gambian side that began its qualifying campaign with a victory.

The match in Accra is scheduled for 16:00 GMT.

Ghana seek response after Ivory Coast defeat

Ghana’s campaign got off to a difficult start in Côte d’Ivoire, where goals from Malick Yalcouyé and Franck Kessié condemned the Black Stars to a 2-0 defeat.

The result leaves Ghana under pressure ahead of Tuesday’s home fixture.

Queiroz’s team created opportunities in Bouaké but failed to convert them, with the Portuguese coach saying afterwards that Ghana had four clear chances during the match.

The Black Stars will now need to turn their opportunities into goals against The Gambia if they are to avoid falling further behind in Group C.

Ghana have also had to contend with a number of squad changes during the international window, with several players unavailable because of injuries and other fitness concerns.

The GFA has subsequently added several players to the squad as Queiroz reshapes his team for the qualifiers.

The Gambia arrive with confidence

The Gambia, meanwhile, enter the game after a positive start to their campaign.

The Scorpions will be looking to build on that result and put themselves in a strong position in the group with another positive performance in Accra.

For Ghana, Tuesday’s fixture represents an opportunity to immediately recover from the disappointment in Bouaké and keep their qualification hopes firmly on track.

With the Black Stars playing at home, expectations will be high at the Accra Sports Stadium, where supporters will expect a response from the national team.

Busy day across Africa

Ghana’s meeting with The Gambia is one of 17 AFCON qualifying matches scheduled for Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Comoros host Namibia, while Lesotho face Morocco and South Sudan take on Egypt.

There are also fixtures involving several of Africa’s leading sides, with Burundi hosting Algeria, Mozambique playing Sudan, Ethiopia facing Senegal and Madagascar meeting Tanzania.

At 16:00 GMT, alongside Ghana v The Gambia, Uganda host Libya, Zambia face Togo, Cape Verde take on Rwanda and Guinea-Bissau entertain Nigeria.

The evening programme includes Gabon v Niger, Somalia v Côte d’Ivoire, Benin v Mauritania, Congo v Cameroon and Liberia v Mali.

The results from the second round of fixtures could begin to shape the early standings in the qualifying groups, although there will be plenty of matches still to play.

For Ghana, however, the immediate priority is clear: secure a positive result against The Gambia and recover momentum after the opening-day defeat.

The Black Stars will be aiming to make home advantage count as they attempt to keep their hopes of returning to the AFCON finals on course.