Ghana are yet to announce their Black Stars squad for a crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Somalia, with the first match only three days away.
The interim technical team, led by Kim Lars Bjorkegren, has not confirmed the players who will be involved in either fixture, leaving limited time for preparation ahead of the two Group C matches.
Ghana will host Somalia on Thursday, November 12, before the return fixture on Monday, November 16. Both games will be played at EssipongSportsStadium in Sekondi-Takoradi after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) gave the venue temporary approval.
The decision means Ghana can stage both matches at home because Somalia do not have a CAF-approved stadium suitable for international fixtures.
The delay in naming the squad comes as Ghana attempt to recover from a poor start to their qualifying campaign. The Black Stars lost their opening two matches and are bottom of Group C without a point.
They began with a 2-0 defeat away to Cote d’Ivoire before suffering a 4-2 home loss against The Gambia. Ghana had taken a two-goal lead in that match, with Ernest Nuamah and Felix Afena-Gyan scoring, but were unable to hold on.
The results have placed early pressure on the four-time African champions, who must now take maximum points from the two meetings with Somalia to revive their hopes of reaching the tournament.
The top two teams in the group will qualify, giving Ghana an opportunity to move back into contention if they can win both fixtures.
Bjorkegren was appointed to head the interim technical team after Carlos Queiroz left following Ghana’s disappointing opening to the qualifiers. He is supported by assistants Ibrahim Tanko and Godwin Attram, while Fatawu Dauda has been named goalkeepers’ coach.
Bjorkegren also coaches the Black Queens, Ghana’s women’s national team.
With the first fixture approaching, the continued absence of a squad announcement has raised questions, particularly given the importance of the matches and the limited preparation period remaining.
Ghana failed to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco and will be seeking to avoid missing a second successive edition of the competition.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
