The Black Stars are scheduled to leave Accra for Sekondi on Tuesday following their final training exercise at the Accra Sports Stadium as preparations gather momentum ahead of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying encounters against Somalia.
Interim head coach Kim Lars Björkegren and his technical team are expected to accompany the entire playing squad to the Western Region after concluding the session, where the team will continue its preparations for the upcoming international double header.
Ghana will welcome Somalia to the Essipong Sports Stadium on Thursday, November 12, before the two nations renew their contest at the same venue on Monday, November 16. Both encounters are scheduled to commence at 3:00pm GMT.
The decision to stage the two fixtures at Essipong represents another opportunity for the Sekondi Takoradi facility to accommodate the senior national team following temporary authorisation granted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to host the international encounters.
The four time African champions approach the upcoming assignments under considerable pressure after suffering consecutive defeats in their opening Group C qualifying fixtures.
Ghana’s campaign began with a disappointing 2-0 loss to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké before the Black Stars subsequently endured a 4-2 defeat against The Gambia on home soil, leaving the national team without a single point from its opening two matches.
Those results have placed Ghana in a difficult position in the qualification race, increasing the importance of securing maximum points from the two forthcoming meetings with Somalia.
Consequently, Björkegren and his technical team will be seeking significant improvements in the team’s overall performance, defensive organisation and attacking efficiency as they prepare for the double header.
The Black Stars will be particularly conscious of the consequences of dropping further points, with victories in both encounters representing an important opportunity to revive their Group C campaign and strengthen their prospects of securing a place at the 2027 AFCON tournament.
With qualification ambitions requiring an immediate response, the two matches against Somalia could prove influential in determining the direction of Ghana’s campaign.
