Ivory Coast vs Ghana AFCON Qualifier Preview
Ivory Coast will be targeting a positive start when they host Ghana in their opening Group C fixture in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
The Elephants have shown some good form lately and should get the better of their rivals, who are struggling at the moment.
Key Stats
- Ivory Coast have won six of their last eight matches in all competitions.
- Ghana are winless in nine of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
- Ghana have lost seven of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
Ghana with the Edge
Ghana have seven wins while Ivory Coast have picked up four victories, with seven draws in the last 18 matches. The most recent meeting was a friendly back in 2021, with both teams battling to a 0-0 draw.
Ivory Coast Showing Good Form
Ivory Coast are regarded as one of the major players in African football and often breeze through these qualifiers. They won the AFCON in 2023 and will be confident of reaching next year’s tournament, with two-time winning manager Hervé Renard now at the helm.
The Elephants are coming off a solid summer where they won two games at the FIFA World Cup. They progressed to the round of 32 of the tournament before suffering a 2-1 defeat to England.
Beyond the World Cup, Ivory Coast’s overall form has been solid lately, having won six of their last eight matches in all competitions. Among their results is a 2-1 victory over France, while they also eased to a 4-0 win over South Korea.
Ghana Still Looking Out of Sorts
Ghana are four-time AFCON winners but have struggled to hit those heights in recent years. They failed to qualify for the 2025 edition, finishing bottom of a group where Angola and Sudan progressed to the tournament.
The Black Stars were at this summer’s World Cup, where their only win was a 1-0 victory over Panama in their opening fixture. Carlos Queiroz’s team did reach the round of 32, suffering a 1-0 defeat to Colombia.
Ghana's overall form has been poor lately, having failed to win nine of their last 10 matches in all competitions. They have been beaten seven times in this run, with their heaviest defeat a 5-1 thrashing against Austria in a friendly back in March.
Team News & Predicted Line-ups
Ivory Coast (4-2-3-1): Yahia Fofana; Guela Doue, Odilon Koussounou, Emmanuel Agbadou, Ghislain Konan; Ibrahim Sangare, Frank Kessie; Nicolas Pepe, Christ Inao Oulai, Yan Diomande; Ange-Yoan Bonny.
Jean Michael Seri and Seko Fofana recently retired from the national team, while Amad Diallo misses out as he continues his recovery from injury. Odilon Koussounou should feature at the back for Ivory Coast while Ange-Yoan Bonny is set to lead the line.
Ghana (4-2-3-1): Lawrence Ati-Zigi; Jan Gyamerah, Derrick Luckassen, Jerome Opoku, Gideon Mensah; Caleb Yirenkyi, Kwasi Sibo; Antoine Semenyo, Jordan Ayew, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Brandon Thomas Asante.
Ghana are without key players for this one, with Mohammed Kudus and Nathaniel Adjey among a list of high-profile withdrawals. Forward Brandon Thomas-Asante has earned a late call-up and could be handed a start, while Jordan Ayew is also expected to feature in attack.