Interim Black Stars head coach Kim Lars Björkegren has made it clear that Ghana’s objective is to claim maximum points from their crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Somalia, while warning his players not to take their opponents lightly.
The Black Stars head into Thursday’s clash under immense pressure after suffering defeats in their opening two Group C qualifiers, leaving their hopes of reaching the 2027 AFCON hanging in the balance.
Ghana opened their campaign with a 2-0 defeat away to Côte d’Ivoire before falling to a disappointing 4-2 home loss against The Gambia, leaving the four-time African champions rooted to the bottom of the group without a point.
With their qualification hopes on the line, Björkegren knows victories in both fixtures against Somalia are essential to get the campaign back on track.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, the Swedish coach admitted the importance of securing all six points but stressed that Somalia deserve respect.
“It’s not a secret that we need all six points, but we need to respect Somalia.”
Björkegren will take charge of the Black Stars for the first time after being appointed interim coach following the departure of Carlos Queiroz.
The Black Stars will host Somalia at the Essipong Sports Stadium on Thursday, with kick-off scheduled for 14:00 GMT, before facing the East Africans again at the same venue on Monday, November 16.
Ghana are desperate to return to winning ways after missing out on qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco—their first absence from the tournament since 2004.
The 2027 AFCON, to be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, now represents an opportunity for the Black Stars to restore confidence and reignite their qualification campaign with back-to-back victories over Somalia.
