Group I features tasty Ghana v Madagascar encounter

Mohammed Kudus of Ghana challenged by Goduine Koyalipou of Central African Republic during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Ghana and Central African Republic (CAR) at Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi, Ghana on 07 September 2023 ©BackpagePix

by Staff Reporter

Thursday Nov 16, 2023. 16:09

In another exciting fixture in the upcoming Africa 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers this week, Ghana will face Madagascar in a Group I clash at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Friday evening.

The Black Stars are deemed to be the giants of Group I and will face Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros and Mali in their 2026 World Cup qualifying bid.

As far as competitive competitions are concerned, Ghana looked solid in their recent Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, finishing top of Group F with zero losses to their name in six matches played.

However, the Black Stars go into their next game on the back of two consecutive defeats, recording losses to Mexico and United states during international friendlies last month.

With the game in view, Hughton has identified his side’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers as an opportunity to improve and hopes that the Black Stars can learn from past experiences.

“It’s for me as coach to learn from our players’ performances and how we can improve, because ultimately you’re now playing competition games – two World Cup qualifiers,” Hughton said.

“They’re two games that we must do well in.

“My role as coach of the Black Stars is to get the best results and the best performances from the team. You can’t always get that.

“But you can always learn from your previous experiences, whether it’s good or bad. And, ultimately, I will work as hard as I always do to try to get things the best way that we can.”

Unlike Ghana, Madagascar go into their World Cup qualifier on the back of a much needed 2-1 win over Benin in a recent International Friendly.

Prior to their victory over Benin, Madagascar went on a five-match winless streak, recording three losses and two stalemates in all competitions.

As a point of reference to competitive football, Madagascar failed to qualify for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations showpiece after finishing last in Group E, while recording no wins in six outings.

Also, Barea holds a slight advantage over the Black Stars in the head-to-head battle. Having met on four occasions in the past, Madagascar claimed two victories compared to just one by the Black Stars, with one draw played out during this period.