Black Stars striker Brandon Thomas-Asante has declared that Ghana’s immediate objective is to secure victory over Somalia and give the country renewed hope of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Coventry City forward said the players were fully conscious of the expectations surrounding the national team and remained determined to deliver a performance that would restore confidence among supporters and make Ghanaians proud.
Ghana are scheduled to welcome Somalia to the Essipong Sports Stadium on Thursday for the opening encounter of their Group C double-header, with the four time African champions facing mounting pressure to revive a qualification campaign that has begun disappointingly.
The Black Stars have struggled to establish themselves in the competition, suffering a 2-0 defeat against Ivory Coast before enduring an unexpected 4-2 loss to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The successive setbacks have left Ghana rooted at the bottom of Group C without a single point after their opening two matches, placing the team in a difficult position as they seek to secure a place at the continental tournament.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday ahead of the Somalia encounter, Thomas-Asante stressed that the squad’s immediate concentration was on collecting all three points and rekindling the country’s ambitions of returning to Africa’s biggest football competition.
“The priority is to make Ghana proud tomorrow by winning against Somalia,” the Coventry City attacker stated.
His remarks reflect the urgency surrounding Thursday’s fixture, particularly as the Black Stars seek to recover from their disappointing opening performances and demonstrate their determination to remain competitive in the qualification race.
For Ghana, securing victory against Somalia would represent an important opportunity to restore confidence, improve their position in Group C and provide supporters with renewed optimism about the team’s prospects.
The national side are also seeking to end their absence from the AFCON tournament after failing to qualify for the 2025 edition staged in Morocco, a setback that heightened expectations for a stronger showing in the subsequent qualifying campaign.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be jointly organised by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, marking a historic East African hosting arrangement.
With qualification ambitions still at stake, the Black Stars will be hoping to translate Thomas-Asante’s determination into a convincing performance against Somalia and begin rebuilding their campaign in front of Ghanaian supporters.
