The Black Stars will take on Angola in a crucial Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier match at 19:00 GMT tonight at the Estadio 11 de Novembro.
With a place in the 2025 tournament at stake, Ghana needs a win to stay in the running, especially after Niger’s recent 4-0 victory over Sudan revived Ghana’s slim qualification hopes.
The Black Stars have struggled in the qualifiers, collecting only two points in four matches, which places them at fourth in the group.
Despite initial expectations, Ghana’s performance has included two draws and two losses, putting their AFCON ambitions in jeopardy.
Meanwhile, Angola has had a dominant qualifying run, easily defeating Ghana and Sudan in their initial games and then beating Niger in a doubleheader last month.
Angola’s forward, Zini, scored early in their last game against Niger, securing their eighth straight win across all competitions.
The team is currently unbeaten in 12 matches since their 1-0 friendly loss to Morocco in March, and they’ve managed seven clean sheets while scoring 21 goals in this stretch.
Ghana, which has qualified for the last ten AFCON tournaments, started their campaign with a 1-0 loss to Angola.
Following that, they managed two draws with Niger and Sudan before a 2-0 loss to Sudan in Benghazi, where goals from Ahmed Al-Tash and Mohamed Abdel Raman dashed Ghana’s hopes.
To qualify, Ghana must now win their final two matches to have a chance at overtaking Sudan for second place.
Ghana faces an uphill battle on foreign ground with only one away win in the past two years.
For their continental hopes to remain alive, the Black Stars need to deliver a strong performance.
Form in AFCON Qualifiers:
- Angola: W-W-W-W
- Ghana: L-D-D-L
Head-to-Head Record
- Matches: 5
- Angola: 1
- Ghana: 2
- Draws: 2
Team News
Angola’s lineup includes midfielder Aldair Ferreira, who may make his international debut. Captain Fredy is set to earn his 60th cap, a significant milestone.
For Ghana, key players including Thomas Partey, Antoine Semenyo, Joseph Paintsil, Alexander Djiku, Inaki Williams, Ibrahim Osman, and Tariq Lamptey are unavailable.
This has opened the door for Osman Bukari, along with Ransford Yeboah Koningsdorffer, Forson Amankwah, Terry Yegbe, Ebenezer Annan, and Kingsley Schindler, who have all received late call-ups.
Mohammed Kudus will also be back after serving a suspension with West Ham.
Predicted Lineups
- Angola: Neblu, Fortuna, Gaspar, Bastos, Carneiro, Show, Maestro, Fredy, Milson, Mabululu, Luvumbo
- Ghana: Ati-Zigi, Mensah, Seidu, Aidoo, Opoku, Sulemana, Kudus, Simpson, Ayew, Fatawu, Paintsil
Match Prediction: Angola 1-1 Ghana
With numerous Ghanaian players missing and only one clean sheet in their last four qualifiers, the odds favour Angola slightly.
Source: Adomonline