Ghana Hosts Sudan in Crucial AFCON Qualifier

Ghana is set to welcome Sudan to the Accra Sports Stadium for a pivotal Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 qualifying match scheduled for Thursday evening. The match is of utmost importance for the Black Stars as they are yet to secure a victory in their qualifying run, while the Sudanese team seeks to recover from their recent defeat.

The Ghanaian side, often referred to as the Black Stars, had their 24-year unbeaten streak at Kumasi’s Baba Yara Sports Stadium shattered by a 1-0 loss to Angola in their opening game of the AFCON qualifiers. Their subsequent match ended in a disappointing 1-1 draw against Niger, despite Ghana taking the lead just before halftime. The Ghanaian side was unable to maintain their advantage, as Niger managed to equalize in the 81st minute.

Currently, the Black Stars occupy third place in Group F with just one point, making their upcoming fixtures against Sudan crucial. Historically, Ghana has been successful against Sudan on home ground, having recorded four wins and a draw in their past five encounters.

Meanwhile, Sudan began their qualifying campaign with a positive 1-0 win over Niger but could not maintain the momentum, suffering a 2-1 defeat against Angola in their subsequent game. This loss ended their four-match unbeaten streak in competitive fixtures, which included wins against Congo DR, Mauritania, and South Sudan during the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Kwesi Appiah, a former coach for the Black Stars, currently leads the Sudanese team. He will be aiming to improve on the goalless draw Sudan secured in Ghana back in 2010 during another AFCON qualifier.

Team preparations for the match have been hit by injuries on both sides, leading to last-minute squad changes. Athletic Bilbao‘s forward Inaki Williams, Bournemouth‘s Jordan Zemura, West Ham‘s Mohammed Kudus, and Abdul Fatawu from Leicester City are expected to be key players for Ghana. Sudan’s squad sees the return of former Al Hilal star Saifeldin Malik and Al-Merreikh’s goalkeeper Ali Aboeshren.

As the match approaches, both teams appear ready to contest for vital points, with Ghana eager to leverage their home advantage against a historically weaker Sudanese visiting team.