The Black Stars of Ghana take on the Palancas Negras of Angola on Thursday, 5th September 2024, at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi as they kick-start their qualification journey to AFCON 2025 in Morocco.
Ghana has been drawn in Group F with Niger, Sudan and Angola. The Black Stars will be facing a familiar foe in Angola as they played against them in the previous AFCON Qualifiers with Semenyo scoring very late in the game to secure all three points for the Stars in Kumasi.
The Black Stars are believed to be finding their feet again after failing to live up to expectations in 2 successive AFCONs. The appointment of Otto Addo has seen the Black Stars play some beautiful attacking football, with the Stars winning all two of their last competitive games against Mali and the Central Africa Republic a few months ago.
Since the Stars are scoring goals now, the worry of most Ghanaians has been about how the team has been conceding goals even at home. In their previous game against CAR, it took a hat trick from Jordan Ayew to give the Stars a 4-3 victory on the night.
Coach Otto Addo and his technical team have given Ghanaians the assurance that the team is certainly coming good, and they are also looking at beating Angola on Thursday.
GHANA'S POSSIBLE LINEUP
Reading reports from the Camp of the Black Stars and the number of absentees in the team due to injury, Ghana is likely to set up a 4231 formation with the following players starting for Ghana; Ati-Zigi, Alidu Seidu, Abdul Mumin, Mohammed Salisu, Tariq Lamptey, Thomas Partey, Majeed Ashimeru, Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo, Fatawu Issahaku and Inaki Williams.
Alexander Djiku misses out on the team due to injury and also Jordan Ayew misses out as he reported to camp late and is yet to have enough training with the team.
ANGOLA'S POSSIBLE LINEUP
Neblu; Mata, Gasper, Carmo, Cruz; Fredy, Show, Nteka; Milson, Mabululu, Dala
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Ghana and Angola have played each other 8 times across all competitions, with Ghana having the upper hand with the most wins. Ghana has won four, drawn three, and lost just once to Angola. Ghana's defeat to Angola came in a 1997 AFCON qualifier where Angola won by a goal in Luanda. Since then, the Stars have dominated this fixture with a notable victory dating back to the 2010 AFCON quarter-finals in Angola.
PREDICTION
With the Stars finding their goal-scoring boots now, it is evident that Ghana will definitely score a goal or two, and just as it was highlighted earlier in the post, the defense of Ghana looks shaky anytime they are pressed.
Ghana is expected to win by 2 goals to 1. Goals are likely to come from Kudus, Semenyo, Inaki, or Jordan Ayew.
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