Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) vice-president George Afriyie has warned the Black Stars that there will be little room for mistakes when they begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign against Côte d’Ivoire.
Afriyie believes Ghana must treat the opening Group C encounter as a decisive fixture and approach it with the same urgency and intensity expected in a final.
The Black Stars are scheduled to travel to Bouaké to face the Elephants at the Stade de la Paix on September 24 before returning home to host The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium three days later.
According to Afriyie, the away fixture against Côte d’Ivoire could have a significant bearing on Ghana’s chances of returning to the continental tournament after the team suffered the embarrassment of missing the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
“Our first match against Côte d’Ivoire is very dicey and difficult; we must approach it like the final,” Afriyie told Graphic Sports.
He urged the technical team and players to prepare thoroughly and avoid a repeat of the errors that contributed to Ghana’s failure during the previous qualifying campaign.
“But for me, I think that we should just prepare well. We must not repeat the mistakes of 2024 that caused us to miss qualification,” he added.
Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 2025 AFCON ended a run of more than two decades of consecutive appearances at the tournament and intensified calls for changes within the national team.
The Black Stars have now been placed in Group C alongside Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia and Somalia, with Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz tasked with leading the team back to the continental showpiece.
While Ghana will be expected to secure points against Somalia and The Gambia, Afriyie considers the trip to Côte d’Ivoire the group’s most demanding assignment and believes the Black Stars must be prepared to withstand the pressure.
The outcome in Bouaké could provide an early indication of Ghana’s prospects in the qualifying campaign, particularly given the importance of avoiding another slow start.
After the Côte d’Ivoire encounter, Ghana will immediately turn its attention to The Gambia at home, giving the team an opportunity to build momentum in the group.
The Black Stars will also face Somalia as they pursue one of the available places at the 2027 AFCON, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
For Afriyie, however, the priority is clear: Ghana must learn from the mistakes of the previous campaign and treat every qualifying fixture with the seriousness required to secure an immediate return to Africa’s biggest international football tournament.
