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.

Match preview

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.

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

We say: Ghana 2-1 Angola

Ghana appear to have rediscovered their form under the new coach, and they have also enjoyed success in this fixture, which is why we are predicting a victory for them on Thursday against Angola, a team that has struggled in AFCON qualifying matches.


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