Former Ghana Football Association vice-president George Afriyie has urged the Black Stars to approach their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Côte d’Ivoire as if it were a final.
Ghana will begin their qualifying campaign away to the Elephants at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké on 24 September, before hosting The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium three days later.
Afriyie believes the difficult trip to Côte d’Ivoire could prove crucial to Ghana’s hopes of securing an immediate return to the continental showpiece after missing out on the 2025 tournament in Morocco.
“Our first match against Côte d’Ivoire is very dicey and difficult; we must approach it like the final,” Afriyie told Graphic Sports.
“But for me, I think that we should just prepare well. We must not repeat the mistakes of 2024 that caused us to miss qualification.”
The Black Stars endured a disappointing qualifying campaign for the 2025 AFCON, failing to reach the finals for the first time in more than two decades.
Ghana have been drawn in Group C alongside Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia and Somalia, with Carlos Queiroz tasked with guiding the team back to the tournament.
The away fixture in Bouaké is expected to be Ghana’s toughest test in the group, with the Black Stars then facing The Gambia at home three days later.
They will also meet Somalia during the qualifying campaign as they bid to secure a place at the 2027 AFCON, which will be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
