The Black Stars face a must-win encounter when they host Somalia at the Essipong Sports Stadium on Thursday in the first of two crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches.
Ghana and Somalia head into the Group C contest still searching for their first points after losing their opening two qualifiers, making Thursday’s clash pivotal to their hopes of reaching the tournament in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Match Preview
Ghana’s qualification campaign has got off to a nightmare start following successive defeats to Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia, leaving the four-time African champions rooted to the bottom of Group C without a point.
The Black Stars opened with a 2-0 defeat away to Côte d’Ivoire before surrendering a two-goal lead in a disappointing 4-2 home loss to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Those results extended Ghana’s winless run in AFCON qualifiers to eight matches and piled pressure on the Ghana Football Association, which subsequently parted ways with Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz.
Interim coach Kim Lars Björkegren now takes charge of the national team for the first time, with the Swedish tactician tasked with reviving Ghana’s faltering qualification campaign.
Victory over Somalia is essential if the Black Stars are to keep alive their hopes of returning to the Africa Cup of Nations after missing out on the 2025 finals in Morocco—their first absence from the competition since 2004.
Somalia have also endured a difficult start to the qualifiers but have shown signs of improvement under head coach Yusuf Ali Nur.
The Ocean Stars began their campaign with a narrow 2-1 defeat to The Gambia before pushing defending African champions Côte d’Ivoire for long periods in a 2-0 loss, conceding twice in the closing stages.
Having successfully progressed through the preliminary round by eliminating Eswatini and Mauritius, Somalia will be eager to spring a surprise and boost their hopes of qualifying for the AFCON finals for the first time in their history.
Team News
Björkegren has welcomed back several experienced players ahead of the double-header.
Captain Jordan Ayew returns after recovering from a groin injury that ruled him out of the previous qualifiers, while Mohammed Kudus is back in the squad after missing much of 2026 through injury.
Defender Mohammed Salisu and midfielder Daniel-Kofi Kyereh have also returned, providing a significant boost to the Black Stars.
The interim coach has also rewarded impressive Ghana Premier League performers, including Benjamin Asare, Musa Hamzata, Isaac Afful, Etse Dogli and Emmanuel Annor, with places in his 26-man squad.
Somalia are expected to retain the core of the side that impressed against Côte d’Ivoire, with striker Bilal Njie once again leading the attack after enjoying an excellent run of form for both club and country.
Key Stats
- Ghana are bottom of Group C after losing their opening two qualifiers.
- Somalia are also without a point after defeats to The Gambia and Côte d’Ivoire.
- The Black Stars have gone eight consecutive AFCON qualifying matches without a victory.
- Ghana failed to qualify for the 2025 AFCON, ending a run of appearances stretching back to 2006.
- Somalia are chasing their first-ever qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Probable Line-ups
Ghana: Ati-Zigi; Alidu Seidu, Jonas Adjetey, Mohammed Salisu, Gideon Mensah; Thomas Partey, Caleb Yirenkyi; Mohammed Kudus, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Jordan Ayew; Brandon Thomas-Asante.
Somalia: Ibrahim Ahmed Hussein; Mohamed Mohamed, Abel Gigli, Ali Omar, Faisal Osman; Mohamed Omar, Abdi Sharif, Mukhtar Suleiman; Bilal Njie, Ahmed Hassan, Addo.
Prediction
Ghana enter the contest under enormous pressure, but the return of several experienced players should provide the quality and leadership needed to halt their poor run.
Somalia have shown resilience and organisation in their opening qualifiers and are unlikely to make life easy for the hosts. However, with greater individual quality and home advantage, the Black Stars are expected to edge the contest.
Prediction: Ghana 2-0 Somalia.
