Chris Hughton’s tenure as Ghana’s head coach begins on Thursday with a mouth-watering Africa Cup of Nations qualification match against Angola at Kumasi’s Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
The Irishman, who has a wealth of experience, will be hoping to hit the ground running as the Black Stars begin their quest for a tenth consecutive AFCON appearance.
The Black Stars’ quest for the 2022 Africa Nations Championship title ended in the quarter-finals, leaving them with a sour taste of disappointment.
Ghana was denied the Catbird seat in Group C after a 2-1 loss to Madagascar in the first game on January 15, but a convincing 3-0 win over Sudan rekindled their qualifying chances before a 3-0 walkover victory over Morocco.
After finishing as runners-up, the West African heavyweights were matched in the quarter-finals against a powerful Niger team, where Imarana Seyni and Boubacar Hainikoye scored in either half to give the Menas an easy victory.
Hughton can now concentrate on his side’s pursuit for a spot in the Ivory Coast and their 10th consecutive Africa Cup of Nations appearance after falling out in 2004.
The four-time AFCON champions began their qualifying campaign with a 3-0 hammering of Madagascar in June 2022, but rapidly ran out of steam, drawing 1-1 with the Central African Republic four days later.
Angola, on the other hand, had a disappointing outing at the home-based CHAN in January, when they were eliminated in the group stages after picking up only two points from three matches.
A 3-3 draw with Mali in their group opener, in which they blew a two-goal lead in the closing 12 minutes, foreshadowed what was to come when Pedro Goncalves’ side was held goalless by Mauritania in their must-win group decider on January 20.
The Black Antelopes had shown promise heading into the competition, having gone undefeated in the qualifications, winning four of four matches while scoring nine goals and holding three clean sheets.
Angola, like Thursday’s hosts, has collected four points from a possible six in their AFCON qualification campaign thus far, dropping points only in a tense 1-1 draw with Madagascar in June 2022.
Four days earlier, the three-time COSAFA Cup champions defeated the Central African Republic 2-1, with Gelson Dala and Spezia’s M’Bala Nzola scoring second-half goals to complete a spectacular comeback.
Ghana and Angola are presently separated at the top of Group E only by goal difference, making this midweek match a potential decider in their fight for a spot in the Ivory Coast.
The Black Stars, on the other hand, have a little advantage heading into the encounter, having won their last six home matches in all competitions since a goalless draw with Nigeria in March 2022.
Ghana Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying form:
- W
- D
Ghana’s form (all competitions):
- L
- W
- L
- L
- W
- L
Angola Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying form:
- W
- D
Angola’s form (all competitions):
- W
- L
- W
- D
- D
- D
TEAM NEWS
Hughton has named a star-studded 25-man squad for his debut game in command, including captain and Nottingham Forest striker Andre Ayew, who has 24 goals in 113 games.
Thomas Partey, who has been instrumental in Arsenal’s Premier League title defense, has also been called up, along with a slew of other English-based attackers such as Jordan Ayew, Kamaldeen Sulemana, and Antoine Semenyo.
In defense, Brighton & Hove Albion full-back Tariq Lamptey will hope to link up with league rivals Daniel Amartey and Mohammed Salisu, while Mohammed Kudus, who has caught the eye in the Eredivisie, will be one to watch.
Angola, meanwhile, has picked an experienced lineup for its crucial matches, featuring 37-year-old goalkeeper Hugo Marques, who has made 18 appearances since his debut in August 2011.
Dala, who has 14 international goals to his name, has scored two of the Black Antelopes’ three goals in the qualifiers. He will be challenged with delivering in attack alongside former Leeds United midfielder Helder Costa.
Goncalves has also made room for some new faces, such as Pedro Agostinho, Bruno Paz, and Casa Pia midfielder Beni Mukendi, who will be looking to don the national jersey for the first time.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Ghana’s possible starting lineup:
Wallacot; Lamptey, Amartey, Salisu, Mensah; Partey, Samed; Sulemana, Kudus, J Ayew; Williams
Angola’s possible starting lineup:
Marques; Buatu, Gaspar, Ndefe, Afonso; Fredy, Show, Luz; Dala, Costa, Papel
PREDICTIONS
A 3-0 win for Ghana or Ghana to score more than 2 goals in this game (Anytime goalscorer – Mohammed Kudus).
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