The Black Stars are set to face Angola in a crucial Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier tonight at 19:00 GMT at the Estadio 11 de Novembro. With a spot in the 2025 tournament on the line, Ghana must secure a victory to keep their qualification hopes alive. The team’s chances were slightly revived after Niger’s 4-0 win over Sudan, but Ghana’s position remains precarious.
Having only earned two points from four matches, Ghana is currently sitting fourth in their group. Their campaign has been disappointing, with two draws and two losses, which has put their AFCON aspirations in jeopardy.
Angola, in contrast, has been dominant in the qualifiers, winning their opening games against Ghana and Sudan and claiming victory over Niger last month. Their forward, Zini, scored early in their match against Niger, marking an eighth consecutive win for the team.
Currently unbeaten in their last 12 matches since a 1-0 friendly loss to Morocco in March, Angola has kept seven clean sheets and scored 21 goals during this run.
Ghana, which has qualified for the last ten AFCON tournaments, started their campaign with a 1-0 loss to Angola. The Black Stars then drew with Niger and Sudan before suffering a 2-0 loss to Sudan in Benghazi, which further complicated their qualification chances.
To advance, Ghana must win their remaining two matches and hope to overtake Sudan for second place. However, the task is daunting, as Ghana has only secured one away victory in the past two years.
With their AFCON hopes hanging by a thread, the Black Stars must deliver a strong performance against Angola to keep their tournament dreams alive.
Form in AFCON Qualifiers:
- Angola: W-W-W-W
- Ghana: L-D-D-L
Head-to-Head Record
- Matches: 5
- Angola: 1
- Ghana: 2
- Draws: 2
Team News
Angola’s lineup includes midfielder Aldair Ferreira, who may make his international debut. Captain Fredy is set to earn his 60th cap, a significant milestone.
For Ghana, key players including Thomas Partey, Antoine Semenyo, Joseph Paintsil, Alexander Djiku, Inaki Williams, Ibrahim Osman, and Tariq Lamptey are unavailable.
This has opened the door for Osman Bukari, along with Ransford Yeboah Koningsdorffer, Forson Amankwah, Terry Yegbe, Ebenezer Annan, and Kingsley Schindler, who have all received late call-ups.
Mohammed Kudus will also be back after serving a suspension with West Ham.
Predicted Lineups
- Angola: Neblu, Fortuna, Gaspar, Bastos, Carneiro, Show, Maestro, Fredy, Milson, Mabululu, Luvumbo
- Ghana: Ati-Zigi, Mensah, Seidu, Aidoo, Opoku, Sulemana, Kudus, Simpson, Ayew, Fatawu, Paintsil
Match Prediction: Angola 1-1 Ghana
With numerous Ghanaian players missing and only one clean sheet in their last four qualifiers, the odds favour Angola slightly.
SOURCE: http://dew360.net
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