Ghana forward Ernest Nuamah says the Black Stars can still reach the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations despite losing their opening two qualifying matches.
The four-time African champions are bottom of Group C without a point after defeats by Ivory Coast and The Gambia left their hopes of qualification in serious danger.
Ghana opened their campaign with a 2-0 loss to Ivory Coast before suffering a 4-2 defeat by The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium. The Black Stars had taken a two-goal lead in that match but were unable to hold on.
Their next assignment is a crucial double-header against Somalia, with both fixtures taking place in Ghana. The two matches offer the Black Stars an opportunity to revive their campaign and move back into contention in Group C.
Nuamah, who plays for French club Olympique Lyon, has been excused from the squad for the upcoming games. However, the forward remains confident Ghana can overcome their difficult start and secure a place at the tournament.
Speaking to CANAL+, Nuamah acknowledged the team’s recent struggles but said Ghana’s status and determination would help them respond.
“Ghana has always been one of the top countries in Africa, but now we have not had good results, and it has been a difficult moment for us, but at the end of the day, we are still Ghana,” the Olympique Lyon forward said.
“We will definitely come up, and we will do everything possible to qualify for the AFCON. It is not done yet; even though we have had a little bit of struggle, we will achieve our goals and play in the tournament,” he added.
Ghana will host Somalia on Thursday, November 12, before the teams meet again on Monday, November 16, at the Essipong Sports Stadium.
The Black Stars are seeking to return to the continental competition after missing the previous edition, which was staged in Morocco.
Their failure to collect points from the opening two games has left them with little margin for error, making the matches against Somalia particularly important to their qualification hopes.
Nuamah said the recent results represented a difficult period for the national team, but insisted the campaign was not over. His confidence comes as Ghana attempt to prevent a disappointing start from denying them another appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations.
