Ghana Football Association President Kurt Okraku has called on Ghanaians to remain positive and rally behind the Black Stars as they begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
Ghana will open their Group C campaign against Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké today, Thursday, before returning home to face The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.
The Black Stars will enter the two matches with several important players unavailable.
Captain Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo, Baba Rahman, Alidu Seidu, Nathaniel Adjei and Prince Kwabena Adu are among those who have withdrawn from the squad due to injuries or personal reasons.
Despite the setbacks, Kurt Okraku has urged supporters to maintain confidence in the team and avoid circulating information that has not been verified.
He said the players remain committed to representing Ghana and need the backing of the public as they prepare for the difficult opening fixtures.
Head coach Carlos Queiroz has made changes to the squad following the withdrawals, with Brandon Thomas-Asante, Felix Afena-Gyan and Jonas Adjetey joining the team.
Rockson Yeboah and Rahim Ibrahim have also received their first senior national team call-ups as Ghana seeks to strengthen the squad ahead of the qualifiers.
The Black Stars will face Côte d’Ivoire at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké before travelling back to Ghana for the encounter with The Gambia.
After the two qualifying matches, Ghana are scheduled to travel to Morocco for an international friendly against the host nation in Tangier on October 4.
The match is expected to form part of Queiroz’s preparations for the remaining fixtures in Ghana’s AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign.
