Ghana need miracles, Malawi eye history
Prayers. Andre Ayew.
What you need to know:
- Now with just a point, Ghana is third in Group C, with leaders Morocco on six while Gabon, having defeated Comoros 1-0 in the opener, have four points.
Four-time champions Ghana didn’t carry the favourites’ tag as the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) kicked off in Cameroon over a week ago.
Milovan Rajevac’s side had hoped to at least make the quarterfinals. But the Black Stars are now staring at a shock early exit after failing to win any of their first two Group C matches.
They conceded late to hand Morocco a 1-0 win in the opening match on January 10 and when they thought they had beaten Gabon thanks to skipper Andre Ayew’s 18th minute effort four days later, Jim Allevinah pulled them back into the drains in the 88th minute.
Now with just a point, Ghana is third in Group C, with leaders Morocco on six while Gabon, having defeated Comoros 1-0 in the opener, have four points.
No respite
Whereas there are four extra places for third-placed teams, Ghana remains in a spot of bother. They haven’t won this trophy since 1982 and four decades later, they face their 2006 participation pain.
After learning the hard way, Ghana built a team that played six successive Afcon semifinals between 2008 and 2017, losing the 2010 and 2015 finals.
With that generation fazing out, Rajevac is now locked in a spot where he still needs Ayew or his younger brother Jordan to deliver on the offense.
The Serbian coach, criticised in Ghana for delayed substitutions in both matches, must outwit Comoros’ Amir Abdou, who is expected to tweak his line-up to give back up to forward El Fardou Ben.
Today
Malawi vs. Senegal 7pm
Zimbabwe vs. Guinea 7pm
Gabon vs. Morocco 10pm
Ghana vs. Comoros 10pm
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