Ghana have arranged a solitary warm-up friendly against Botswana as part of muted Africa Cup of Nations preparations in South Africa starting next week.
Newly-installed manager Chris Hughton will convene his provisional Black Stars squad in Johannesburg from December 31st for an intense 10-day camp.
With Hughton finalising tournament selections during closed training sessions after naming an initial 30-man roster, access proves extremely limited.
The January 8th date against Botswana falling just six days before Ghana’s Group C opener versus Cape Verde therefore provides the only chance for match assessment.
Hughton replaced Otto Addo last month after Ghana’s World Cup group stage elimination aiming to improve fortunes at AFCON 2023.
But restricted preparation time coupled with a solitary friendly indicates Hughton faces a testing tournament initiation.
Drawn alongside Cape Verde, Egypt and Mozambique, Ghana are tipped to progress but seemingly lack ideal preparation grounding.
After botching World Cup qualification until claiming the concluding play-off, Ghana remains in rebuilding mode after recent instability.
With Hughton still shaping his ideas and preferred starting eleven, an underwhelming friendly opponent and closed camp doors limits evidence whether Ghana will overcome further AFCON disappointment.
However, by selecting numerous home-based players, Hughton clearly envisages a future beyond solely AFCON 2023 during his two-year contract.
