Black Stars forward Brandon Thomas-Asante says Ghana must treat their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Somalia with complete focus as they attempt to rescue their qualification campaign.
Ghana have lost their opening two Group C matches and are yet to register a point. The four-time African champions were beaten 2-0 by Cote d’Ivoire in Bouake before surrendering a two-goal lead in a 4-2 home defeat by The Gambia.
Those results have left Ghana under pressure ahead of a double-header that could determine whether they remain in contention for a place at the tournament.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference at Essipong Sports Stadium, Thomas-Asante said the squad understood the importance of the opportunity and believed it possessed enough quality to respond.
“We are not here to joke around or anything. We are here knowing we have got to put our best foot forward and to maximise this opportunity. You look around the squad, we’ve got the quality,” he said.
The Coventry City forward added that the players were united in their objective and now needed to demonstrate their ability during the matches.
“We understand the task at hand and everyone is here on [a] mission. We are here knowing we have to maximise this opportunity. We believe we have that quality and we can show it in these games,” Thomas-Asante said.
Interim head coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren has selected an experienced squad for the two meetings with Somalia, with Ghana needing maximum points from both fixtures to keep their hopes of reaching the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alive.
The Black Stars will host Somalia on Thursday, November 12, before travelling for the return fixture on Monday, November 16, 2026.
