AFCON2023: Ghana’s Group Is A Big Hurdle

The Black Stars of Ghana opens the upcoming AFCON tournament against Cape Verde. This encounter would be the real test for the Ghana side. Cape Verde has increasingly turned out to affirm its place as a precociously fine side. The former Portuguese West African colony met Ghana in its 2013  maiden outing in the competition and proved to be a tough customer.  It was a stalemate that could have derailed Ghana’s ambitions until a late goal toppled the then-debutants.

The Cape Verdians could be heating up for vengeance, especially might have been monitoring Ghana since they were placed in the same group for this tournament, and devised a strategy not only to contain but beat Ghana. The fact is, the Black Stars of Ghana lack the color of yesteryear, and the proof was their failure to progress beyond the group stages at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, and the Cameroon 2022 AFCON.

In the process, an unknown quantity like the Comoros defeated Ghana twice, their second being the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.  Hindsight experience must guide Ghana to know that the best response to Cape Verde is to attack in bursts to impact the opponents to fear the presence of a traditional football giant in their encounter.

The Egyptians won’t be pushovers either. They are perennial materials for cup finals and pre-tournament favorites. The first nation to sweep past Ghana’s previous record as unprecedented four-time champions, with a haul of seven. Hungry for greater success, as against Ghana’s cautious approach, their match looks unpredictable but Ghana should expect a fast tempo that requires a high work-rate.  The outcome of the Ghana-Egypt match would largely depend on the vigilance of the Ghanaian defence whose lackadaisical reaction to danger lets the whole team down.

Mozambique also harbour a secret agenda in the sense that they have an axe to grind with Ghana, and this is traceable to 1996 when Ghana beat them 2-0 in the AFCON hosted by South Africa.  The consistency of the Mozambicans should tell Ghana something. In all, the South African side is a handful. You underrate them at your own risk.  Group B is anybody’s game.