Sports News of 2026-09-24
Ghana vs Côte d'Ivoire: Preview, key players, history and what’s at stake
Two of West Africa’s heavyweight football nations meet in Bouaké on Thursday,September 24,2026, as Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire begin their campaigns for a place at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Group C opener at the Stade de la Paix, scheduled for 7:00 pm Ghana time, is one of the headline fixtures of the opening round of qualifiers, with both teams looking to make an early statement in a six-match campaign.
There is plenty of history between the sides, but few encounters remain as memorable as the 2015 AFCON final. After 120 minutes without a goal, Côte d’Ivoire prevailed 9-8 on penalties to win the continental title. Their most recent meeting, a 2021 friendly in Cape Coast, ended goalless.
Thursday's meeting, however, comes with both teams entering different phases.
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Côte d’Ivoire have brought back Hervé Renard for a second spell, and the French coach has introduced eight new players into a 25-man squad as he begins another cycle with the Elephants.
The hosts will therefore combine established experience with emerging talent, with players such as Franck Kessié providing leadership in midfield.
Renard expects the contest to be decided by small margins.
“When you have a match between two big teams [Côte d’Ivoire vs Ghana], it will be played on details. But we have enough character to approach it. But it is not enough to say it; it will have to be shown on the ground,” he said.
Ghana, meanwhile, arrive with Carlos Queiroz back in charge but with their squad significantly altered by withdrawals and injuries. Mohammed Kudus and Antoine Semenyo are unavailable, while captain Jordan Ayew is also out, forcing Queiroz to find solutions in attack.
That could put greater responsibility on Fatawu Issahaku, Christopher Bonsu Baah and late call-up Brandon Thomas-Asante to provide Ghana's attacking threat.
Queiroz, however, sees similarities between the two teams.
“Ivory Coast have players with a lot of power, creativity, and skill, who like to play attacking football. I can say the same thing about these qualities for Ghana,” he said during a pre-match conference.
That makes the midfield battle particularly important. Côte d’Ivoire will look to use their physicality and experience to control the game, while Ghana could rely on the energy of Kwasi Sibo and Ibrahim Sulemana and the creativity of their attacking players to stretch the hosts.
For Côte d’Ivoire, victory would give Renard's new cycle an immediate lift and put the hosts in a strong early position. For Ghana, three points away from home would provide an equally significant start under Queiroz.
With six group matches to determine the qualification picture, neither side can afford to treat Thursday's encounter as anything more than an important opening step.
In a fixture both coaches expect to be decided by fine details, discipline, midfield control and moments of individual quality could ultimately shape the result.
FKA/JKB
