Ghana To Engage Namibia In A Friendly Match Today In Preparation To AFCON 2019

The Black Stars of Ghana are set to play the Brave Warriors of Namibia in an international friendly match today to test their strength as the two sides intensify their preparations ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament to be staged in Egypt later this month.

This will be the 3^rd time the two countries will be stepping onto one pitch to battle for bragging rights. However, Ghana has won all two previous matches giving them a boost ahead of this tie.

The first time they met was at the AFCON tournament hosted in Ghana in 2008. The Stars edged the Brave Warriors to a 1-0 victory at the Group phase. Six years later they locked horns again but this time in an International friendly. Once again Ghana proved too strong for the Namibians as they posted a similar result on them courtesy a first-half strike from Sulley Muntari.

Tomorrow’s fixture is important for both National teams as they fine-tune their preparations for the assignment ahead. It promises to be even tougher than previous ones especially now that it has been expanded from 16 to 24 countries.

For Namibia, they find themselves in Group D of this year’s tournament where they will be facing former Champions Ivory Coast, Morocco, and South Africa.

The Black stars, on the other hand, have been pitted in Group F and will battle the likes of Benin, Guinea Bissau as well as defending Champions Cameroon.

The match which kicks off at 13:30GMT will serve as a ground for Head Coach James Kwesi Appiah to select his final 23-man squad that will make their way to Egypt to battle for continental glory.

The 2019 edition of the AFCON will start from June 21 and end on July 19.