2027 AFCON Qualifiers: Ghana v The Gambia preview

Ghana will look to revive their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign when they host Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday.

Kick-off is scheduled for 16:00 GMT, with the Black Stars under pressure after losing 2-0 to Ivory Coast in Bouake in their opening Group C fixture.

Gambia, meanwhile, arrive in Accra with confidence after beating Somalia 2-1 in Bakau to begin their campaign with three points.

The contrasting results have increased the importance of Tuesday's encounter, with Ghana needing a positive result to avoid falling further behind in the early stages of the qualification race.

• Ghana seeking a response

Carlos Queiroz's side endured a difficult build-up to the defeat in Ivory Coast, with several key players unavailable.

Captain Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Kudus, Thomas Partey, Baba Rahman and Antoine Semenyo all missed the game through injury, leaving the Portuguese coach with limited options.

The Elephants capitalised on Ghana's difficulties, with Malick Yalcouye opening the scoring before Franck Kessie converted a second-half penalty to seal victory.

The Black Stars now have little room for error at home, particularly after a run of inconsistent results.

Ghana have won just one of their last five matches in all competitions, recording one draw and three defeats in that period. They have also failed to score in their last two games.

Their attacking output will be a major concern for Queiroz, who will be looking for greater creativity and efficiency in the final third against Gambia.

Ghana are also determined to avoid another major disappointment after failing to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.

The Black Stars finished bottom of their qualifying group and will be desperate to avoid missing out on the continental tournament for a second successive edition.

Having reached the Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup before losing 1-0 to Colombia, Ghana will hope to turn the positive elements of their World Cup campaign into a stronger showing in Accra.

• Gambia arrive with confidence

Gambia made an ideal start to their qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over Somalia at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.

Ebrima Colley gave the Scorpions the lead from the penalty spot in the 18th minute before Somalia's Bilal Njie equalised in the 72nd minute.

Muhammed Badamosi then came off the bench to restore Gambia's advantage 11 minutes later and secure all three points for Johnathan McKinstry's side.

The victory was particularly significant as it was Gambia's first competitive home match at the Independence Stadium since March 2021.

McKinstry will want his side to maintain that momentum in Accra, although the Scorpions will be wary of repeating their disappointing qualifying campaign for the 2025 AFCON, which they failed to reach after finishing third in their group.

A positive result against Ghana would strengthen their position and provide an early boost to their qualification hopes.

• First competitive meeting

Tuesday's fixture will be the first competitive meeting between Ghana and Gambia.

The two countries have met four times in friendly matches, with Ghana winning three and the other encounter ending in a goalless draw.

However, their most recent meeting came in 1993, making those previous results of limited relevance ahead of their first competitive encounter more than three decades later.

• Team news

Queiroz is expected to make changes to the side that started against Ivory Coast as he looks to improve Ghana's attacking threat.

The Black Stars have also suffered another setback with defender Alexander Djiku expected to miss the game through injury.

Semenyo remains unavailable after missing the defeat in Bouake, while Christopher Bonsu Baah could also drop out of the starting XI.

Fatawu Issahaku's position is another area under consideration after he conceded the penalty that led to Kessie's goal against Ivory Coast.

Issahaku also struggled to influence the match and lost possession 11 times, the most of any player on the pitch.

Brandon Thomas-Asante could be deployed in a wider attacking role, while Felix Afena-Gyan is in contention for a starting berth.

Gambia are also expected to name a strong side as McKinstry looks to build on their opening victory.

Captain Omar Colley could partner Sainey Sanyang, Yaya Bojang and Alagie Saine in defence, while Yankuba Minteh is unavailable through injury.

Mahmudu Bajo and Abubakr Barry are expected to continue in central midfield, with Ebrima Colley offering an attacking threat.

Abdoulie Ceesay could lead the line, with Joseph Ceesay operating behind him.

Possible line-ups

• Ghana: Ati-Zigi; Oppong, Adjei, Opoku, Mensah; Yirenkyi, Sibo; Sulemana, Thomas-Asante, Nuamah; Afena-Gyan.
• Gambia: Gaye; Sanyang, Colley, Bojang, Saine; Bajo, Barry; Fadera, E. Colley, J. Ceesay; A. Ceesay.

Form guide

• Ghana's AFCON qualifying form: L
• Ghana's form in all competitions: D-W-D-L-L-L
• Gambia's AFCON qualifying form: W
• Gambia's form in all competitions: W-L-W-L-L-W

For Ghana, Tuesday's match represents an opportunity to respond immediately to their defeat in Ivory Coast and put their qualification campaign back on track.

For Gambia, it is a chance to build on their winning start and collect another valuable result away from home.