Ghana vs Angola : 2023 Afcon qualifier preview

In the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier on Thursday at the Baba Yara stadium, Ghana will try to recover from their disappointing World Cup showing in Qatar last year.

It will be the first Black Stars game in Kumasi since they drew 0-0 with Nigeria, a result that helped them secure qualifying for the World Cup. New Black Stars coach Chris Hughton will be in charge of the game for the first time.

According to the former Newcastle manager, a win will be crucial right away.

“Getting the win will be fantastic for me personally, and it will be even more significant for the team. Hughton stated before the game that winning at home was crucial.

Angola, on the other hand, had envisioned making an AFCON comeback after exiting the 2019 tournament in the group stage. They did well in their first two qualifiers, defeating Madagascar and Central African Republic with victories and draws, respectively.

Pedro Goncalves, the head coach, has pledged to upset the four-time African champions despite being aware of how difficult the match will be.

“We will play against a strong squad in Africa, but our goal is to develop, play, and challenge ourselves against the best teams.

“This is our mind as we face the Black Stars. Watch out for us, believe that we will face one-on-one and beat the Black Stars,” he said.

Both teams are tied on points with four each which makes the fixture a crucial one.

FORM GUIDE (LAST FIVE MATCHES)

The only defeats in the previous five games for Ghana were their two World Cup losses. Two of their most recent victories, though, came in exhibition games against Switzerland and Nicaragua. In their last five games, Angola has also won three, lost one, and drawn the other.

GHANA’S FORM

2 December   2022   Ghana  0–2 Uruguay   2022 World Cup Group H

28 November 2022 South Korea 2-3 Ghana 2022 World Cup Group H

24 November 2022 Portugal 3-2 Ghana 2022 World Cup Group H

17 November 2022 Ghana 2–0 Switzerland Friendly

27 September 2022 Nicaragua 0–1 Ghana Friendly

ANGOLA’S FORM

20 November  South Africa 1–1 Angola    Friendly

17 November Angola 1–0 Botswana   Friendly

10 July 2022 Botswana 1–0 Angola  COSAFA Cup

7 July 2022 Angola 3–0 Seychelles  COSAFA Cup

5 July2022 Angola 3–1 Comoros  COSAFA Cup

HEAD TO HEAD

Both teams have met thrice in International friendlies and thrice in AFCON competitions. Ghana have the advantage in terms of head-to-head with three wins and two draws with a single defeat which they suffered 26 years ago. In their last meeting, Angola who were the hosts of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations lost 1-0 to the Black Stars in the quarter-finals of the tournament.

11 Nov 1982 Angola 1-2 Ghana International Friendly

06 Oct 1996 Ghana   2-1 Angola  Africa Cup of Nations

22 Jun 1997 Angola  1-0 Ghana  Africa Cup of Nations

28 Apr 2004 Ghana  1-1 Angola  International Friendly

18 Nov 2009 Angola 0-0 Ghana  International Friendly

24 Jan 2010 Angola 0-1 Ghana  Africa Cup of Nations

SQUAD NEWS

GHANA

With the exception of Southampton center-back Mohammed Salisu, who the 64-year-old is cautiously managing due to recent injury issues, Chris Hughton’s team is all healthy. Wollacott’s return to the team means that Lawrence Ati Zigi, the team’s World Cup captain, is likely to be replaced at the role.

Prior to the game, Goncalves has no serious concerns about his team and plans to field a potent lineup.

PREDICTED LINEUP FOR GHANA

Wollacott, Denis Odoi, Amartey, Djiku, Mensah, Partey, Samed, Kudus, Paintsil, J Ayew, and Williams make up the 4-2-3-1 lineup.

PREDICTED LINEUP FOR ANGOLA

Marques; Buatu; Gaspar; Ndefe; Afonso; Fredy; Show; Luz; Dala; Costa; and N’zola (4-3-3)

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