AFCON 2025 Qualifiers: Black Stars Begin Campaign with Crunch Tie Against Angola
Ghana will host Angola at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Thursday, aiming to kick off their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a victory.
These two sides faced off during the qualifying series of the last AFCON, with the Black Stars securing a 1-0 home win and a 1-1 draw in the return leg.
Otto Addo’s second stint as Ghana’s head coach has been promising, with two wins and a draw in four matches, despite a defeat to Nigeria in his first match after the comeback.
Ghana’s recent form includes a dramatic 2-1 victory over Mali and a 4-3 win over Central African Republic, both in 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The latter match was a goal-fest, with Louis Mafouta scoring a hat-trick for Central African Republic and Jordan Ayew responding with his own hat-trick for Ghana while Abdul Fatawu also got on the scoresheet.
Ghana’s disappointing group-stage exit at the recent AFCON led to the dismissal of Chris Hughton, but the Black Stars have since turned things around and are now seeking to win three consecutive matches across all competitions for the first time since July-August 2022.
The hosts also have an ongoing unbeaten record against the visitors, winning and drawing two each against them in four previous meetings.
Angola enters this fixture on a high after winning the COSAFA Cup in July, triumphing in the competition for the fourth time in July.
Pedro Goncalves’s men went undefeated throughout the tournament, culminating in a 5-0 victory over Namibia in the final, with Victor Pedro Nanque scoring a brace.
The Palancas Negras are aiming for their 10th AFCON appearance, having reached the quarterfinals of the last edition before losing to Nigeria.
Angola’s qualifying record for the last AFCON was mixed, with two wins, three draws, and one defeat, and they will be hoping to improve on this performance in a group that also includes Niger and Sudan.
Ghana Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying form:
Ghana form (all competitions):
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Angola Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying form:
Angola form (all competitions):
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Team News
LA Galaxy winger Joseph Paintsil, Turkey-based Kingsley Schindler, Anderlecht’s Majeed Ashimeru, and Athletic Bilbao’s forward Inaki Williams have all returned to the Ghanaian squad after missing the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic in June.
Leicester forward Ayew has scored in the last five games for the team and is expected to start in attack once more, with West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus playing behind him.
Angola are expected to field an attack featuring Mabululu and Gelson Dala, the duo who caused havoc for opposing defences at the AFCON.
Kialonda Gaspar is a constant presence in the Palancas Negras defence, while David Carmo is likely to remain as his partner in central defence.
Ghana possible starting lineup:
Ati-Zigi; Seidu, Djiku, Salisu, Mensah; Samed, Partey; Fatawu, Kudus, Semenyo; Ayew
Angola possible starting lineup:
Neblu; Mata, Gasper, Carmo, Cruz; Fredy, Show, Nteka; Milson, Mabululu, Dala
Players to watch:
Ghana – Antoine Semenyo showed promise with Bournemouth in the Premier League last season, scoring eight goals in 33 appearances and he’s made a flying start in the new campaign after bagging two goals in his first three outings. The 24-year-old winger is hoping to carry that form over onto the international stage, having found the back of the net just twice in 21 games for his country to date.
Angola – Gelson Dala was one of the standout performers for Goncalves’ side at the 2023 Afcon, bagging braces against Mauritania and Namibia to finish one goal behind Golden Boot winner Emilio Nsue. The 28-year-old forward netted seven times in 21 games for Al-Wakrah in the Qatar Stars League last term and hit the ground in 2024-25 after contributing a goal and an assist against Al-Ahli on the opening weekend.
What the coaches said
Ghana head coach Otto Addo
“The most important thing is that we don’t underrate our opponents. Angola has a very strong team with players in LaLiga, the Championship in England, Portugal’s top division, and France.
“They are very strong, and we need to be wise not to underestimate them. We have our strengths, but we must focus on our game, particularly defensively, to stay compact and avoid conceding goals.”
Angola head coach Pedro Goncalves
“I’ve been with the Angolan national team for five years, and during that time, we’ve developed a mentality focused on competing with the biggest countries in African football.
“It’s not about being afraid but about challenging ourselves to play against the best teams. Facing Ghana, the third-best team in Africa is a wonderful opportunity for us. Only Egypt and Cameroon have a better history than Ghana.”
