Black Stars Face Somalia With Qualification Hopes on the Brink as Kudus, Ayew, Partey Return

Ghana’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations campaign reaches a critical juncture on Thursday as the Black Stars host Somalia at the Essipong Sports Stadium in Sekondi, needing a win to revive a qualification bid that has stumbled out of the gate with two straight defeats. Kick-off is at 3:00 p.m. GMT.

The match is the first of a double-header against Somalia, with the return leg also scheduled for Essipong on Monday, November 16, because Somalia lacks a CAF-approved home venue . Both teams sit on zero points after two rounds of Group C matches, making Thursday’s encounter a must-win for Ghana if the four-time African champions are to avoid a second successive AFCON absence .

A Campaign in Crisis

Ghana’s troubles began with a 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké, followed by a stunning 4-2 collapse at home to The Gambia in Accra. The Black Stars had led 2-0 through Ernest Nuamah’s penalty and Felix Afena-Gyan’s free kick, but Gambia roared back with four unanswered goals to leave Ghana bottom of the group .

The results extended Ghana’s winless run in AFCON qualifiers and left the team searching for answers. Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia both sit on six points at the top of Group C, while Somalia—despite narrow losses to both—have shown enough resilience to suggest they will not be pushovers .

The Cavalry Returns

Interim coach Kim Lars Björkegren, who took over after Carlos Queiroz resigned last month, has been handed a significant boost with the return of four key players who missed the September fixtures.

Mohammed Kudus is back for the first time in 2026, bringing pace, direct running, creativity and goals from midfield. He is joined by captain Jordan Ayew, vice-captain Thomas Partey and AS Monaco defender Mohammed Salisu .

“Together, Kudus, Ayew, Partey and Salisu give this team a spine again,” the Ghana Football Association said in its match preview. “It is the spine that was missing in September” .

Björkegren, who also coaches Ghana’s women’s national team, acknowledged the compressed preparation window ahead of his first match managing a senior men’s side. “There has been less preparation for me, but I am doing my best,” he said. “There have been some meetings, of course, where we have discussed how we want to play, how we want to create chances, score goals and how we want to win this game” .

History Favours Ghana

Ghana have won both previous meetings against Somalia, both during the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The Black Stars claimed a 5-0 victory on November 15, 2003, before completing a 2-0 win in the return leg three days later . Björkegren will be desperate to maintain that perfect record.

What’s at Stake

Only the top two teams in Group C qualify for the 2027 tournament, co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. A defeat or draw on Thursday would leave Ghana’s campaign on life support with four matches remaining. A victory would narrow the gap to the leading pair and restore belief ahead of Monday’s return fixture.

Ghana missed the 2025 AFCON entirely, finishing bottom of their qualifying group. A second successive absence from the continent’s premier tournament would represent a significant low point for a nation that has lifted the trophy four times.

For Somalia, coached by Yusuf Ali Nur, the double-header represents an opportunity to claim a landmark result. Striker Bilal Njie, who scored against The Gambia in the group opener, is expected to lead the line .

The match will be broadcast live on TV3 Ghana, GTV Ghana and GTV Sports+, with DStv subscribers able to access coverage via SuperSport MaXimo 1 .