Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has called on Ghana supporters to rally behind the players available for Tuesday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against The Gambia, rather than dwelling on those who are unavailable.
Ghana will face The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium in their second Group C fixture, with the Black Stars seeking their first points after opening their campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké.
Several key players are missing from the squad for the current international window, including Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo and Nathaniel Adjei. Alexander Djiku has also been ruled out after sustaining an injury during the loss to Côte d’Ivoire.
With those absences limiting his options, Queiroz has called up replacements and is preparing for his first competitive home match since returning for a second spell in charge of the national team.
The Portuguese coach believes the support of the home crowd will be important as Ghana attempts to recover from its disappointing opening result.
“It’s better to stay home if you’re coming to the stadium to complain about players that are not here instead of supporting those that are here,” Queiroz told reporters ahead of the match.
The Black Stars head into the fixture under pressure to respond with a positive result. Having failed to pick up a point in their opening game, Ghana will be looking to avoid another setback against a Gambian side that will also be seeking a strong start to its campaign.
For Queiroz, the focus is firmly on making the most of the players at his disposal and ensuring they respond positively to the defeat in Côte d’Ivoire.
The match at the Accra Sports Stadium is scheduled to kick off at 16:00 GMT, with Ghana aiming to open its points account in Group C and strengthen its bid to qualify for the 2027 AFCON.
The qualification campaign is particularly important for the Black Stars after Ghana failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, ending a run of more than two decades of successive appearances at the tournament.
With a strong home crowd expected in Accra, Queiroz will be hoping the supporters throw their full weight behind the players as Ghana looks to revive its qualification campaign.
By: Prince Martey-Sogar.