Black Stars warned against complacency

Avram Grant resumes 2017 Afcon journey as the Black Stars take on Rwanda at the Amahoro Stadium on Saturday

Ghana resume their 2017 Africa Cup of Nations duties with an away assignment in Kigali as they take on the Amavubi in the second round of 2017 Afcon qualifiers.

The Black Stars started their campaign with a 7-1 win over Mauritius at the Accra Sports Stadium in June this year to move to the summit of the Group H.

They are joined at the top by Rwanda, who travelled to Mauritania to seal a vital 1-0 win.

Avram Grant’s men go into the match as clear favourites, but must brace up for a tough task in Kigali.

Knowing the tricky nature of the fixture, the Israeli has quickly warned his players to eschew complacency.

Captain Asamoah Gyan can only take part if he passes a late fitness test. The Shanghai SIPG striker picked up a knee injury after the 3-2 win over Congo on Tuesday.

Also missing out are midfielders Emmanuel Agyemang Badu and Godfred Donsah, who received his maiden Black Stars call-up.

Fortunately for Grant, he will be welcoming Andre Ayew back in the team after the 25-year-old missed the previous match.

The former Marseille player is on a great run of form after scoring three goals in four matches for Swansea City in his debut EPL campaign.

His form comes in handy as some of the key players like Christian Atsu and Wakaso Mubarak have been inactive in the early part of the season.

Rwanda cannot boast of the quality the Black Stars have, but they seem to be building a strong defensive unit.

Both teams should be concerned about the quality of the pitch at the Amahoro Stadium.

Rwanda coach Johnny McKinstry, who seems to be irked by the bad nature of the pitch, is however adamant that his side is capable of defeating the 2015 Afcon finalists on Saturday.