Former Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah is aiming to lead Sudan to victory against his native country in a crucial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match on Thursday.
The struggling Black Stars cannot afford to lose the Group F match in Accra to a team ranked 50 places lower in the world, especially after their disappointing start in the campaign to reach the finals in Morocco.
Last month, Ghana suffered a home defeat to Angola and squandered a lead in a draw against Niger, currently placing them third in a group where only the top two teams will qualify.
Angola and Sudan occupy the first and second spots, with six and three points, respectively, after the initial two matches in this six-round competition.
Appiah, who has served as Ghana’s coach on two occasions, has made a notable impact with Sudan, a team unable to play at home since last year due to civil unrest.
The Sudanese team leads a 2026 World Cup qualifying group that includes Senegal and features a reliable scorer in Mohamed Abdelrahman.
Ghana coach Otto Addo has also lost four players from his squad due to injuries, with Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey being the most significant absence.
AFP Sport has highlighted five other matches out of 24 scheduled to take place over three days starting Thursday, with Matchday 4 commencing on Sunday and continuing through Tuesday.
Nigeria v Libya
Injured 2023 African Footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen is missing, but caretaker Nigeria coach Augustine Eguavoen has the option to select his forwards from seven players competing in top European leagues.
Among these forwards is Ademola Lookman, the only African nominee for this year’s Ballon d’Or, who is expected to be a key starter for the Group D leaders in Uyo.
Libya, currently at the bottom of the group, has dismissed Serbian coach Milutin Sredojevic. Local replacement Nasser al Hadhiri has acknowledged that “a draw in Nigeria would be a positive result for us.”
South Africa v Congo
South Africa has lost injured ‘super sub’ Thalente Mbatha and unavailable winger Percy Tau, while midfielder Jayden Adams has been excluded from the squad due to unspecified disciplinary issues.
The 2024 AFCON bronze medalists did not perform well last month, with Mbatha managing to score late goals that salvaged a draw against Uganda and secured a win over underdogs South Sudan.
Congo has faced difficulties, highlighted by a crushing six-goal defeat against Morocco during World Cup qualifying, and they are expected to leave the eastern coastal city of Gqeberha empty-handed.
Cameroon v Kenya
Cameroon, the second most successful nation in AFCON history with five titles, will rely on Bryan Mbeumo for goals as they host an improving Kenya in a crucial top-of-the-table clash in Group J.
The France-born forward has netted six Premier League goals for Brentford this season, a figure surpassed only by Erling Haaland of Manchester City, who has scored ten.
Cameroon’s goalkeeper, Andre Onana of Manchester United, has stated that the Harambee Stars are “the only serious threat” in a group that also features Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Egypt v Mauritania
As if prolific Liverpool scorer Mohamed Salah wasn’t already a significant threat, Mauritania now faces the added challenge of Bundesliga star Omar Marmoush during their visit to Group C leaders Egypt.
Marmoush currently leads the German Bundesliga scoring charts with eight goals for Eintracht Frankfurt, outpacing England’s Harry Kane, who has netted five for Bayern Munich.
Egypt’s captain Salah arrived in Cairo having recently become the top-scoring African in UEFA Champions League history, surpassing Ivorian Didier Drogba with his 45th goal in the competition against Bologna.
Senegal v Malawi
Senegal, the champions of the 2022 AFCON, will be led by Pape Thiaw after coach Aliou Cisse’s contract was not renewed following nine years at the helm.
Cisse’s unexpected departure followed his failure to meet targets set by the sports ministry, which included advancing to the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup and winning consecutive AFCON titles.
Thiaw, 43, who served as an assistant to Cisse, will aim for a victorious debut as he leads the team against Malawi, who suffered a 6-0 defeat in their Group L qualifiers against Burundi and Burkina Faso.