Former Ghana goalkeeper Abukari Damba has called on the Black Stars to give everything in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against The Gambia on Tuesday.
Ghana will be aiming to recover from their opening defeat after losing 2-0 to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké last Thursday.
Damba expects The Gambia to present a strong challenge, especially after the Scorpions began their qualifying campaign with a victory.
He believes Ghana must approach the encounter with determination while remaining disciplined and avoiding unnecessary mistakes.
Speaking to Graphic Sports, Damba warned the Black Stars not to underestimate their opponents.
“The Gambians will come well prepared because they know what Ghana is capable of. They will come with the hope of winning, or at least picking a point, so we have to go all out and fight for the victory,” he said.
Damba also believes The Gambia could sit deep and adopt a cautious strategy because of Ghana’s reputation and experience in African football.
The Black Stars will enter the game without some key players, including Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo and Jordan Ayew.
However, Damba says their absence should give other members of Carlos Queiroz’s squad the chance to establish themselves.
He has urged the available players to concentrate on the opportunity before them rather than focusing on those who are unavailable.
“We don’t need to cry over spilled milk. We have good replacements, and this is an opportunity for them to be counted. They need to show up,” Damba said.
Despite the setbacks, Damba believes Ghana possess enough quality to overcome The Gambia and secure their first points of the qualifying campaign.
“It is going to be a tall order, but we have the potential to beat The Gambia. They cannot fail Ghanaians,” he added.
The former goalkeeper has nevertheless stressed the need for tactical discipline, cautioning the players against abandoning their defensive responsibilities in their search for a win.
According to him, the Black Stars must stick to Queiroz’s instructions, maintain concentration and avoid giving The Gambia opportunities to punish them.
Ghana will face The Gambia at 16:00 GMT as the Black Stars seek to open their points account in the qualifiers.
The team is also looking to secure qualification for the 2027 AFCON after failing to make the 2025 tournament in Morocco, bringing an end to Ghana’s long run of appearances at the continental competition.
