Ghana desperate to return to winning ways

Ghana would be desperate to return to winning ways when they host Ethiopia in the opening day of the Total Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon qualifier on Sunday in Kumasi.

The Black Stars, who are off the pace in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers and without a win in recent memory are desperate to return to winning ways for their own good.

Pitted in Group F alongside Kenya, Sierra Leone and visitors Ethiopia, the Black Stars have their work cut out as they begin the final phase of the journey to Cameroon in 2019.

Returnee coach, Kwasi Appiah has called up a largely young squad that is confronted with putting the match to bed early despite the notable absence of some regular faces.

Appiah, whose return to the side he coached to a World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 in South Africa, seem to have reignited support for the former champions, and the only way to reward a nation that appears to have turned on support for the team again is winning on Sunday.

Unlike Ethiopia’s newly appointed coach, Ashenafi Bekele who has called upon only two foreign-based players for the trip to Kumasi, Appiah will be counting on many foreign-based players including Andre Ayew.

Ayew ended his season at West Ham with five goals and three assists in the club’s final 13 Premier League fixtures, including the final-day winner at Burnley and should be good enough to provide options for the Black Stars upfront.

Though Ghana are favourites, they would be the first to admit that Ethiopia may not be pushovers especially, against a squad predominant with players from St. George who are unbeaten so far at the group stage of the Total CAF Champions League.

With Egypt-based duo of Shemeles Bekele and Oumed Okuri in the side, Ethiopia who drew with Uganda in their build-up for the match would without a doubt have depth with Oumed who has scored nine goals in all competitions for El Entag El Harby this season.

The stage is set for what could be defining for both teams that would justifiable be targeting a win to smoothen the path to Cameroon 2019.

Earlier on Saturday, Sierra will host Kenya in the other Group F clash in Freetown.

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Fixtures

Group A

9.06.2017      Obeid            Sudan vs Madagascar

10.06.2017    Dakar            Senegal vs Equatorial Guinea

Group B

10.06.2017    Yaounde        Cameroon vs Morocco

10.06.2017    Lilongwe        Malawi vs Comoros

Group C

10.06.2017    Bamako         Mali vs Gabon

10.06.2017    Bujumbura    Burundi vs South Sudan

Group D

11.06.2017    Blida              Algeria vs Togo

11.06.2017    Cotonou         Benin vs Gambia

Group E

9.06.2017      Cairo             Libya vs Seychelles

10.06.2017    Uyo               Nigeria vs South Africa

Group F

10.06.2017    Freetown       Sierra Leone vs Kenya

11.06.2017    Kumasi          Ghana vs Ethiopia

Group G

10.06.2017    Kinshasa        DR Congo vs Congo

11.06.2017    Harare           Zimbabwe vs Liberia

Group H

10.06.2017    Bouake          Cote d’Ivoire vs Guinea

11.06.2017    Bangui           Central African Rep. vs Rwanda

Group I

10.06.2017    Ouagadougou Burkina Faso vs Angola

10.06.2017    Francistown   Botswana vs Mauritania

Group J

10.06.2017    Niamey          Niger vs Swaziland

11.06.2017    Tunis             Tunisia vs Egypt

Group K

10.06.2017    Ndola            Zambia vs Mozambique

10.06.2017    Bissau           Guinea Bissau vs Namibia

Group L

10.06.2017    Praia                        Cape Verde vs Uganda

10.06.2017    Dar es Salaam          Tanzania vs Lesotho