Ghana hosts Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, in matchday two of Group C qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, with kickoff set for 4 p.m. local time. The match carries early weight for both sides, given the contrasting starts each team endured in the opening round of fixtures.

Ghana looks to recover after a rocky start

Carlos Queiroz's Black Stars enter the fixture having lost their opening AFCON qualifier 2-0 away to Côte d'Ivoire on Thursday, with Malick Yalcouyé and Franck Kessié scoring for the Ivorians to secure the victory over the Black Stars, leaving Ghana bottom of the group on zero points. The defeat has piled early pressure on a squad that is already dealing with the wider context of a poor qualification record, having failed to reach the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco after finishing bottom of their preliminary group.

Compounding matters, Ghana will be without captain Alexander Djiku, who limped off in the 71st minute against Côte d'Ivoire and has since returned to his club, Spartak Moscow. Speaking ahead of the match, Queiroz addressed the fitness of his squad, noting that only one player remained a doubt and that the rest of the group trained normally, adding that they «are ready for the game».

Gambia arrives with momentum

Johnny McKinstry's Scorpions travel to Accra in far better spirits after beating Somalia 2-1 at the Independence Stadium in Bakau, with Ebrima Colley putting the Scorpions ahead from the penalty spot in the 18th minute before Somalia's Bilal Njie levelled in the 72nd minute, and Muhammed Badamosi coming off the bench to restore Gambia's advantage 11 minutes later to secure victory. That result put Gambia in prime position early in the group, and the Scorpions sit joint-top of the group with three points, level with Côte d'Ivoire.

Gambia's build-up hasn't been without its own setbacks, however. The Gambia will also head into the game without star winger Yankuba Minteh, who is ruled out through injury after sustaining a contact injury to his right leg in pre-season, though captain Omar Colley is expected to lead the squad in Accra. The Brighton forward's absence is notable given his importance to the Scorpions' attack, and Gambia will also be without Musa Barrow, Abdoulie Manneh and Adama Sidibeh, who are all ruled out through injury.

A first-ever competitive meeting

Despite decades of football history between the two West African neighbors, Tuesday's clash breaks new ground. This will be the first-ever competitive meeting between the two nations; all previous encounters have been friendlies, with Ghana winning three of four and the other ending in a goalless draw, with the most recent of those meetings dating back to 1993. That gap means the historical record offers little practical guidance heading into a match that will count for qualification points for the first time.

Both nations also share a recent disappointment that adds extra stakes to the encounter. Like Ghana, the Scorpions also failed to reach the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, finishing third in their qualifying group, meaning neither camp can afford to fall too far behind so early in the new cycle.

Lineups and what's at stake

Queiroz is expected to shuffle his side after the display in Bouaké. Reports suggest Lawrence Ati-Zigi is set to continue in goal ahead of Benjamin Asare, with Jonas Adjetey replacing the injured Alexander Djiku in the back four, while Augustine Boakye is set to start in midfield after his impressive cameo against the Ivorians. On the other side, Gambia could line up with Gaye in goal, supported by Sanyang, Colley, Bojang and Saine in defense, with Bajo and Barry in midfield and Fadera, Colley and Ceesay providing the attacking threat.

The match will be officiated by Moroccan referee Mustapha Kechchaf, and the result will shape the early picture in a group where only the top two teams will progress to the next stage. For Ghana, a positive result is close to essential to keep pace with Côte d'Ivoire and Gambia at the top of Group C; for the visitors, a win or draw would put the Scorpions in a commanding early position in their bid to reach a third straight Africa Cup of Nations.