Former Ghana international Frimpong Manso says the Black Stars have enough quality to defeat Somalia in their two-match 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying tie, regardless of which players are selected.
Ghana face Somalia in their Matchday 3 and 4 fixtures later this month, with the first leg scheduled for November 12 and the return match four days later. Both games are expected to be played in Ghana.
Manso has called on the interim technical team, led by Black Queens coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren, to consider giving opportunities to locally based players. The former Asante Kotoko player and coach believes the Ghana Premier League contains several footballers capable of making a contribution to the national side.
However, he warned Ghana not to underestimate Somalia, saying the standard of African football has become more competitive as more teams are allowed to qualify for continental tournaments.
“The fact that we are promoting the use of local players doesn’t mean that the Somalis don’t know how to play. Football has changed a lot because CAF is allowing many teams to qualify for African tournaments. They are increasing the number,” Manso told Sporty FM.
Despite recognising the progress made by emerging football nations, Manso said Ghana should still be expected to win.
“But compared to us, as footballers, we don’t have to struggle to win against [Somalia], although the others are catching up. But for me, I think we should be able to win against Somalia at home, no matter the kind of players we call up,” he added.
Manso pointed to The Gambia as an example of a country whose investment in youth development has helped it improve its standing in African football.
Ghana were beaten 4-2 by The Gambia in their previous qualifying match after allowing a two-goal lead to slip away.
“The rise of Gambia isn’t recent; they started with the youth teams. And if you look at their players at the back who play in Europe, they are not pushovers. Those who played against us, I’m not sure you will find most of them playing for foreign-based clubs,” he said.
The former Bibiani Gold Stars coach also said players from lower divisions could present problems for traditionally stronger teams, underlining the changing nature of African football.
Manso believes Ghana’s prospects against Somalia will depend on selecting players who are fully committed to the national team and willing to perform at their best.
“For me, my point is that Somalia – yes, they are coming up. But if we bring players that will give off their best, Somalia cannot stand us,” he stressed.
Ghana are bottom of Group C without a point after losing their opening two matches against Cote d’Ivoire and The Gambia.
The four-time African champions have yet to win in the qualifiers and must take maximum points from both fixtures to revive their hopes of reaching the 2027 tournament in East Africa.
