Former Ghana midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu believes the Black Stars can recover from their poor start to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
Ghana have lost both of their opening Group C matches and are bottom of the section without a point as they attempt to return to the continental tournament.
The four-time African champions began with a 2-0 defeat by Cote d’Ivoire in Bouake. They then surrendered a two-goal advantage against The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium before losing 4-2.
Those results have left Ghana with a difficult task in their attempt to qualify for the finals, having also failed to reach the 2025 edition in Morocco.
However, Agyemang-Badu is hopeful the Black Stars can change the direction of their campaign when they meet Somalia twice in November.
“I’m optimistic that the Black Stars might win their next games,” he told Ahenfie Sports.
Ghana are scheduled to face Somalia in a double-header as they seek their first qualifying points and attempt to keep their hopes of reaching the tournament alive.
Agyemang-Badu, who was part of Ghana’s squad that won the 2009 FIFA Under-20 World Cup, has also called on the national team’s technical staff to consider more players from the domestic league.
The former midfielder said local talent should be given an opportunity to demonstrate their ability at international level and make a contribution to the Black Stars.
“Let’s give local players the chance they deserve,” he added.
An interim technical team is expected to lead Ghana’s preparations for the two Somalia fixtures while the Ghana Football Association considers its next steps following the departure of Carlos Queiroz.
The November matches will be particularly important for Ghana, who need to improve on their opening results to maintain their qualification hopes.
The Black Stars are seeking a return to the Africa Cup of Nations finals after missing the 2025 tournament in Morocco. It was the first time in 20 years that Ghana had failed to qualify for the competition.
