Ghana’s Black Meteors will begin their preparations for the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers with a training camp in Accra on Wednesday, 5 August 2026.
The locally based players have been instructed to report to the Erata Hotel in East Legon at 16:00 as Coach Desmond Ofei starts assembling his squad for Ghana’s next continental campaign.
The initial camp will involve players from Premier and Division One League Clubs. Arrangements will be made separately for Ghanaian players based abroad who are eligible for the under-23 side.
The U-23 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers are scheduled to begin during the September/October window. However, Ghana have been given a bye and will enter the competition in October.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has not yet announced the qualifying pairings, meaning Ghana do not currently know which opponents they will face when their campaign begins.
The group reporting in Accra is expected to provide the foundation of the team as Ofei begins the process of building a side capable of competing for African success. The qualifiers will also carry added importance because they serve as the qualification route for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The Black Meteors’ preparations will therefore begin with a domestic-based group while the coaching staff finalise arrangements for the foreign-based under-23 players. The players drawn from Ghana’s top two domestic league levels are expected to form the initial core of the squad before the overseas-based members are incorporated.
Ghana’s opening camp comes more than two months before the Olympic football tournament in Los Angeles, but the immediate focus is on securing progress through the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying process.
The Erata Hotel in East Legon has been selected as the reporting point for the local players, who are due to arrive at 4pm on Wednesday. Their arrival will mark the formal start of the Black Meteors’ preparations under Ofei.
With CAF yet to publish the match-ups, the Ghanaian technical team will begin its work without confirmation of the opponents or the precise schedule for the October fixtures. The early camp will instead allow the coaches to assess the selected players and establish the base of the squad.
The players named for the local component of the camp are drawn from Premier and Division One League Clubs. Further arrangements concerning the participation of foreign-based U-23 players will be communicated as the preparations continue.
Ghana’s campaign is being planned around the September/October qualifying window, although the team’s bye means its first matches will take place in October. The Black Meteors will be aiming not only to advance in the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers but also to maintain their hopes of reaching the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
