Ghana will look to get its 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign back on track when the Black Stars host Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on today.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 4:00 p.m. GMT, with Ghana seeking its first points in Group C after a disappointing opening-day defeat to Ivory Coast.
The Black Stars lost 2-0 to the Elephants in Bouake last Thursday, while Gambia began their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Somalia at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.
The contrasting results have increased the importance of the encounter for Ghana, who will be keen to avoid an early setback developing into a more difficult qualification campaign.
Ghana’s preparations for the opening qualifier were disrupted by injuries to several key players, including captain Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Kudus, Thomas Partey, Baba Rahman and Antoine Semenyo.
Ivory Coast capitalised on Ghana’s depleted squad, with Malick Yalcouye opening the scoring before Franck Kessie converted from the penalty spot to complete the victory.
The Black Stars will now have to respond at home, particularly after a difficult recent run of results.
Ghana have recorded just one win, one draw and three defeats in their last five matches in all competitions and have failed to score in their last two games.
The team’s attacking output will also come under scrutiny, with chances proving difficult to create consistently in recent matches.
The pressure comes after Ghana failed to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, having finished bottom of their qualifying group.
The Black Stars will therefore be determined to avoid missing the continental tournament for a second successive edition.
Ghana reached the Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup before losing 1-0 to Colombia and will hope to build on the positive elements of that campaign as they begin their recovery in the AFCON qualifiers.
Gambia, meanwhile, arrive in Accra with confidence after opening their qualifying campaign with a 2-1 win over Somalia.
Ebrima Colley gave Gambia the lead from the penalty spot in the 18th minute before Somalia’s Bilal Njie equalised in the 72nd minute.
Substitute Muhammed Badamosi restored Gambia’s lead 11 minutes later to secure all three points for Johnathan McKinstry’s side.
The victory also marked Gambia’s first competitive home match at the Independence Stadium since March 2021.
The Scorpions will be hoping to build on that result after also missing out on the 2025 AFCON, where they finished third in their qualifying group.
McKinstry will be looking for his side to collect points in Accra and strengthen their position in the group.
Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz is expected to make changes to the side that started against Ivory Coast as he seeks greater attacking threat.
Defender Alexander Djiku is expected to miss the game through injury, while Semenyo remains unavailable after also sitting out the defeat in Bouake.
Christopher Bonsu Baah could also drop to the bench, while Fatawu Issahaku’s place in the starting XI is under consideration.
Issahaku conceded the penalty that led to Kessie’s goal against Ivory Coast and struggled to make an impact, losing possession 11 times during the match.
Brandon Thomas-Asante could be deployed in a wider role, while Felix Afena-Gyan is among those being considered for a starting role.
Gambia are also expected to field a strong team as McKinstry seeks to maintain the momentum from their opening victory.
Captain Omar Colley could partner Sainey Sanyang, Yaya Bojang and Alagie Saine in defence, while Yankuba Minteh is unavailable because of injury.
Mahmudu Bajo and Abubakr Barry are expected to continue in midfield, with Ebrima Colley providing an attacking outlet.
Abdoulie Ceesay could lead the attack, with Joseph Ceesay operating behind him.
Ghana: Ati-Zigi; Oppong, Adjei, Opoku, Mensah; Yirenkyi, Sibo; Sulemana, Thomas-Asante, Nuamah; Afena-Gyan.
Gambia: Gaye; Sanyang, Colley, Bojang, Saine; Bajo, Barry; Fadera, E. Colley, J. Ceesay; A. Ceesay.
Tuesday’s fixture will be the first competitive meeting between Ghana and Gambia.
The two nations have met four times in friendly matches, with Ghana recording three victories and one encounter ending in a goalless draw.
However, their most recent meeting was in 1993, meaning the previous encounters offer limited insight into Tuesday’s qualifier.
