Ghana’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign received a much‑needed lift with the return of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Mohammed Kudus, who will line up against Somalia on Thursday in a must‑win qualifier. The 26‑year‑old, who missed the 2026 World Cup and recent AFCON defeats to the Ivory Coast and Gambia, is set to add firepower to a squad that has struggled to find form.
Veteran striker Jordan Ayew, now with Sheffield United, also re‑joins the side after a period out of international action. The Ocean Stars will play the match at Essipong Stadium in Accra, where they will host Somalia twice because of security concerns in the East African nation. The game is part of matchdays three and four, which begin on Thursday and finish on Tuesday, and will be crucial for Ghana’s bid to climb out of a dismal start in Group C.
Ghana will be without Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo, who is still injured, and will face a Somalia side ranked 130 places lower in the world. The loss to the Ivory Coast in Abidjan was not unexpected, but the 4‑2 defeat at home to the Gambia after a two‑goal lead prompted Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz to resign. The team is now under the temporary charge of Swede Kim Lars Bjorkegren, who is also the coach of the women’s national team.
Other African teams in trouble after poor starts to qualifying include Nigeria, which lost 3‑0 to Guinea‑Bissau and is now without star striker Victor Osimhen; Cape Verde, which missed a second successive AFCON after defeats to Mali and Rwanda; and Tunisia, the only 2026 World Cup qualifier to fail to progress past the first round of the AFCON, now led by Mouin Chaabani.
Ghana will need a win to keep their hopes alive ahead of the final two matchdays in March, while the co‑leaders Ivory Coast and Gambia also meet twice, in Abidjan and Bakau. The tournament’s early stages have seen several teams, including Nigeria and Cape Verde, struggle to secure points against lower‑ranked opponents.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
