2027 AFCONQ: Black Stars arrive in Bouaké for opener against Ivory Coast

Ghana’s national football team, known as the Black Stars, have arrived in Bouaké, Ivory Coast, in preparation for their inaugural match of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign against their neighboring nation on Thursday. The squad arrived in Accra on Monday and completed their final training session at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday evening under the guidance of head coach Carlos Queiroz.

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has not disclosed the exact number of players who have joined the team in Ivory Coast ahead of the match.

The Black Stars are set to hold their final training session at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké on Wednesday, just 24 hours prior to the crucial encounter. However, the team will be without several key players due to injuries or personal reasons. These missing players include Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo, Thomas Partey, Jordan Ayew, Baba Rahman, Nathaniel Adjei, and Alidu Seidu.

To compensate for the absences, head coach Carlos Queiroz has made squad adjustments, bringing in Brandon Thomas-Asante, Felix Afena-Gyan, and Jonas Adjetey. Rockson Yeboah and Rahim Ibrahim have made their debut as senior players for Ghana.

Ghana’s team will face off against Ivory Coast at the Stade de la Paix on Thursday, with the objective of returning home to host Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium three days later. Securing a spot back in the AFCON finals is a significant goal for the Black Stars, who had not qualified for the tournament since 2025, after an absence that spanned over two decades. Their absence from the 2025 AFCON tournament in Morocco marked the end of a streak that saw Ghana represent Africa in every AFCON finals since 2004.

Following the two qualifiers, the Black Stars will head to Morocco for a friendly match against the hosts in Tangier on 4th October. This friendly game aims to continue the preparations for the remaining matches of the AFCON qualifying campaign.