Black Stars went down 2-0 to regional rivals Côte d’Ivoire in a Group C encounter played in Bouaké. The result hands the Elephants an early advantage in a group that also contains The Gambia and Somalia
The West African heavyweights had been widely tipped to produce one of the standout ties of the qualifying campaign’s opening round, and Côte d’Ivoire, three-time AFCON champions and hosts of the trophy-winning 2023 edition, made home advantage count.
For Ghana, who missed out on the previous tournament in Morocco after finishing bottom of their qualifying group, the defeat is an early reminder of the work still required to rebuild a squad chasing a return to the continent’s top table.
Among those fielded by the Black Stars was Conventry City striker Brandon Thomas-Asante, deployed as part of an attacking unit that struggled to find a route past a well-organised Ivorian defence.
Speaking after the final whistle, the forward acknowledged the frustration of a quiet night in front of goal, but pointed to the trust within the squad as a source of confidence heading into the rest of the campaign.
I trust my teammates too, that they want to serve me as much as possible to make chances. I don’t doubt my team. I know that all of the attacking players are so talented, and I just have to be patient and keep running and make sure I’m in position that when the ball comes, I’ll deliver.” Brandon Thomas-Asante.
Thomas-Asante, who has featured for the Black Stars across recent World Cup and qualifying windows, also touched on the demands of assembling for international duty at short notice, noting that his call-up to the squad came late in the buildup to the fixture.
He suggested that a longer preparation window ahead of Ghana’s next outing should allow the team to sharpen the aspects of its play that were missing in Bouaké.
It was quite a quick turnaround from arriving into the first game, even with the late call-up that you say, but now there will be more time to recover, prepare, and to give the Ghana fans what everyone deserves.” Brandon Thomas-Asante.
The defeat means Ghana will look to get their campaign back on track when they host The Gambia in Matchday 2 of Group C qualifying campaign.
Côte d’Ivoire, meanwhile, will travel to face Somalia in the same round, aiming to build on their winning start.