Ghana’s Black Stars have arrived in Bouake, Ivory Coast, ahead of their opening Group C fixture in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, with the team now entering the final phase of preparations for Thursday’s encounter.
The Ghanaian delegation travelled from Accra on Wednesday morning and reached the Ivorian city later in the day as head coach Carlos Queiroz and his technical staff intensified preparations for the important opening assignment.
The Black Stars are scheduled to hold their final training session at the Stade de la Paix in Bouake on Wednesday evening, giving the players an opportunity to acquaint themselves with the playing surface while allowing the technical team to complete its tactical preparations for the match.
Ghana began preparations in Accra on Monday, with the squad conducting its initial training sessions at the Accra Sports Stadium before travelling to Ivory Coast for the opening fixture.
Eighteen players participated in Tuesday’s training session as the squad continued to take shape following several withdrawals and subsequent additions to the team.
The Black Stars have been forced to revise their squad considerably ahead of the qualifying campaign, with several established players unavailable for the opening matches. Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo and Nathaniel Adjei are among those who will miss the encounter against Ivory Coast.
The changes have prompted Queiroz to reinforce the squad with additional players, including Osasuna defender Rockson Yeboah, who has received his first senior international invitation after making three appearances in La Liga this season.
The match represents Ghana’s first Group C assignment in the qualification process and carries particular significance after the Black Stars failed to secure a place at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations staged in Morocco.
Ghana will therefore begin the new qualification campaign seeking to establish an early foothold in a group that also contains Ivory Coast, The Gambia and Somalia.
The Black Stars will face the Ivorians away from home on Thursday before returning to Accra to host The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on September 27.
The opening fixture consequently provides Queiroz with his first competitive opportunity to guide Ghana in the new qualification campaign, as the Portuguese coach seeks to build a team capable of navigating the group and securing qualification for the continental tournament.
With the squad affected by injuries and withdrawals, the final training session in Bouake is expected to be particularly important as the technical team determines its starting lineup and tactical approach for the encounter.
The Black Stars will be seeking a result that gives them a strong beginning to the campaign, while Ivory Coast will have the advantage of playing before their home supporters.
For Ghana, the immediate objective is to negotiate the opening challenge in Bouake before shifting attention to the home encounter against The Gambia, which will provide the team with its first opportunity to compete in front of its supporters during the qualifying campaign.
