Chris Hughton will bid to take Ghana to a first Africa Cup of Nations title in over 40 years when they kick off against Cape Verde on Sunday night.
The Black Stars have failed to add to their four AFCON crowns since George Alhassan led them to glory in 1982, and were even knocked out of the group stage by Comoros in dramatic fashion two years ago.
Veteran manager Hughton has struggled to get Ghana pointing in the right direction since moving from an upstairs role to the dugout last year.
Three defeats in five games, including a goalless draw with Namibia to prepare for this tournament, have dropped them out of the top 60 of the world rankings on the eve of AFCON.
But they will nonetheless be expected to hit the ground running in Ivory Coast against a Cape Verde side that reached the knockout stages at the last Cup of Nations.
H2H STATS AND PREVIOUS RESULTS
Cape Verde emerged victorious when these teams first met in 2001. However, they’ve lost four consecutive clashes between these teams since then. The most recent encounter between Ghana and Cape Verde was in AFCON 2013, where the Black Stars won by two unreplied goals.
Ghana vs Cape Verde probably u lineups
The Black Stars of Ghana will likely line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Iñaki Williams leading the attack. Hughton adopted this formation in seven of his team’s last 10 games.
On the other hand, Bubista fancies the 4-3-3 formation, which he used in Cape Verde’s last three matches.
These are our probably Ghana vs Cape Verde lineups:
Ghana
Goalkeeper: Richard Ofori.
Defenders: Denis Odoi, Mohammed Salisu, Alexander Djiku, Gideon Mensah.
Midfielders: Iddrisu Baba, Joseph Paintsil, André Ayew, Jordan Ayew, Mohamed Kudus.
Forwards: Iñaki Williams.
Cape Verde
Goalkeeper: Vozinha.
Defenders: Stopira, Roberto Lopes, Diney Borges, Willy Semedo.
Midfielders: Jamiro Monteiro, Logan Costa, Rocha Santos.
Forwards: Bebé, Garry Rodrigues, Ryan Mendes.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Ghana vs Cape Verde is scheduled for an 8pm BST kick-off on Sunday, January 14, 2024.
The match will take place at Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan.
Where to watch Ghana vs Cape Verde
TV channel: GTV Sports+, SuperSport TV, BBC (UK), La Liga+ (Spain), Sports TV (Portugal.
Source: SKB Journal
