2027 AFCON Qualifiers: They are a tough and competitive side but we are confident - GFA boss Kurt Okraku ahead of Ivory Coast v Ghana clash

Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku says the Black Stars will approach their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Côte d’Ivoire with confidence.

Ghana will travel to Bouaké to face the Ivorians at the Stade de la Paix on 24 September 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 19:00 GMT.

Okraku believes the Black Stars have made significant progress, pointing to their performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as evidence of the team’s development.

“They [Côte d’Ivoire] are a very good team. I think that it will be a very interesting game,” Okraku told 3Sports.

“What I also know is that Ghana showed a lot of organisation in the last World Cup, and showed that we are improving and we showed that we can compete at the highest level.”

The GFA president noted that Ghana entered the World Cup as the lowest-ranked team but finished the tournament ranked 24th, which he believes demonstrates the progress made by the national side.

“I am reminded again that going into the World Cup as the least-ranked team, we came up as the 24th-ranked team, and that should tell you that Ghana has made progress at the Mundial,” he said.

Okraku also believes the team has overcome the psychological setback that previously affected the Black Stars after defeats.

“That psychological block of losing games, I think, doesn’t exist anymore within this team,” he added.

With Ghana set to begin their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign against Côte d’Ivoire, Okraku expects the Black Stars to play with confidence and compete for a positive result.

“We will go to Côte d’Ivoire with youthful confidence, and we will be competitive,” he said.

Ghana have been drawn in Group C alongside Côte d’Ivoire, Somalia and The Gambia in their bid to qualify for the 2027 AFCON tournament.