Good afternoon! It's around half an hour until the first of today's two Group C clashes get underway in Bloomfontein.

Although Ghana are the second highest ranked nation in Africa, they have a relatively inexperienced squad for this tournament. Only midfielders Richard Mpong and Edmund Owusu-Ansah have previous international experience.

With the majority of Congo's regular internationals playing their club football in their home country, they have a similar squad to that which narrowly missed out in a playoff for a place in the World Cup.

GHANA STARTING XI: Adams, Saka, Tijani, Sulley, Adusei, Owusu, Mpong, Opoku, Nuru, Annorbah, Yahaya

CONGO STARTING XI: Mouyabi, N'Kodia, Andzouana, Moubhio, Ankira, Binguila, Kounkou, Nkolo, Bhebey, Magnokele, Obassi

This is the first of two matches taking place at the Free State Stadium today. The other sides in Group C, Libya and Ethiopia, will play straight after this game.

As the rules of the tournament restrict teams to picking players that compete in their home country's domestic league, there's potential upsets. Ghana are considered favourites for this afternoon's game, but without the likes of Asamoah Gyam, Michael Essien and Kevin-Price Boateng, there's potential for the Black Stars to slip up against an improving Congo side.

Congo's squad features 10 players from the AC Leopards, who recently won the Caf Confederations Cup.

The players are making their way out of the tunnel ahead of kickoff. Before the game gets underway, both teams will observe their national anthems.

Unfortunately, it's a pretty poor attendance for this match. Hopefully those that have made the effort to get to the stadium will make themselves heard once play gets underway.

Ghana get the game underway.

Ghana have made the brighter start of the to sides, pressing forward from the kickoff, but a mix up in communication on a throw in sees Gildas Mouyabi-Kiyari claim the ball in the Congo goal.

CHANCE! There's a bit of a scare for Ghana as Obassi shows impressive pace to burst forward from midfield, leaving him with only the keeper to beat, but he lashes his shot just wide. Adams, making his debut for Ghana, was left rooted to the spot.

Congo are on the attack again and win a corner. Obassi and Nkolo both try to head the ball in, but Ghana manage to clear after a scramble in front of goal. This is a positive start by Congo!

BOOKING! Ghana respond immediately, charging down the other end of the field. Sulley passes forward for Mpong, but he's hacked down on the edge of the box by Mouhbio, who is booked for the challenge. Ghana have a free kick from a dangerous position to follow as well.

CHANCE! Sulley lines up the free kick and strikes it straight towards the Congo goal, but Mouyaba make a good save. Congo are quickly on the charge down the other end, but Adams is able to collect the ball before they can get a shot away.

Initially it looks like the referee signals for a penalty, but eventually the sides line up for a free kick just outside the box. Yahaya Mohammed was tripped while running at goal, and ended up falling inside the box, but the foul happened just outside.

After the confusion over whether it was a penalty or a free kick, Sulley eventually steps up to take the free kick. He manages to clear the ball, but once again Mouyabi is able to hold on with a fantastic diving save.

After an open first 15 minutes, both teams seem to be looking to keep hold of the ball a little longer, with Congo stringing together a series of passes in midfield. However, when Binguilla looks to make a run towards goal he loses out to Tijani, and Ghana head on the counter-attack.

Sulley Muhammed tangles with Mouhbio on the edge of the box again, but the referee lets play continue. Godfred Saka comes forward for the Black Stars and takes a shot for Ghana, but his finish lacks power, and is comfortable stopped by Mouyabi.

Congo make another dangerous move, with Obassi lining up another strike from the edge of the area. However, he passes out wide to Nkolo, who fouls Saka while trying to cross it back in. It difficult to tell which team is on top at the moment, Ghana have looked more dangerous in front of goal, but Congo are creating more chances.

Ghana win their first corner of the match, but no-one is ready for Saka's powerful cross in, and it goes straight out the other side for a Congo throw in. Given the nature of this match so far, the Black Stars will need to be stronger from set pieces if they're to get a result this afternoon.

Ghana are immediately on the attack again, and win a second corner when Nkolo puts the ball behind to stop Sulley having a shot. However, Saka's delivery fails to find one of his teammates yet again.

It looks like Congo are just looking to slow the tempo, as they pass the ball among their back four for a few moments. Their quick bursts from midfield have caught Ghana out a couple of times in the early stages of this match, but they'll struggle to keep that up for 90 minutes.

On the counter attack, Theophilus Anobaah dribbles past two Congo defenders before unleashing a stunning strike from just inside the penalty area. It looks like it may have taken a slight deflection on the way in, but it was heading in anyway. What a fantastic opening goal!

Congo looks for a quick equaliser, but Bissiki's delivery into the area is easily claimed by Adams. In the last 10 minutes, Ghana have had almost 60% of the possession, Congo will need to swing that stat in their favour is they're to get back on level terms.

CHANCE! Nkolo makes a brilliant run towards the Ghana goal before setting up Bissiki for a strike. Adams manages to punch the ball back into the path of the striker, but Ghana put it behind for a corner.

OFF THE POST! From the corner Tijani almost turns in into his own goal, but is relieved to see it strike the post. It drops for Mouhbio, but he rushes his shot and slices it well high from just a couple of yards out. He could have done much better with that chance.

There's a bit of an injury concern for Ghana as the goalscorer, Anobaah, takes a flailing arm to the face while battling for the ball with Bissiki, but he's ok to continue after a bit of attention from the Black Stars' physio.

Congo make a break towards the Ghana half again, but the move is quickly halted when Andzouana is flagged for offside. Meanwhile, there will be two minutes of stoppage time before the break.

A pass back to Mouyabi almost goes wrong for Congo when Sulley follows the delivery in, and the Congo keeper takes a touch too many, but he just manages to make the clearance in time. That's a risky tactic though, particularly just before half time.

So a superb strike from Theophilus Anobaah separates the two teams at half time. Congo created plenty of early chances, and came close to equaliser in the final five minutes before the break, so this is by no means over.

Both goalkeepers have had plenty to do in the opening 45 minutes. Both teams were keen to push forward throughout the first half, while the defences struggled to cope. There could easily have been more than one goal so far, but for some solid work from Stephen Adams and Gildas Kiyari Mouyabi

It will be interesting to see how early Congo make changes in the second half. They've played well as a team so far, but their work rate has been pretty high, I wouldn't be surprised if they started to tire in the second half.

The players are starting to make their way back out ready for the second half. It doens't look like either side will be making any changes at half time.

The second half gets underway.

Anobaah tries to get himself upfront again as he looks for his second goal of the game, but he carelessly tackles Ankira, giving Congo a free kick.

CHANCE! Yahaya Mohammed plays Ghana into the box, but Mouyabi comes off his line to claim the ball before any of the Ghana players reach it. It looks like the Black Stars are targetting a second goal as soon as possible in this second half.

Congo get forward on the counter, with Nkounkou threading the ball through for Bhebey-Ndey, but Adams is able to turn the ball away. It looks like both sides will be continuing their attacking approach from the first half for the time being.

CHANCE! Bhebey-Ndey spots Adams off his line, and unleashes a rocket from 30 yards out, but the effort just starts rising before it reaches its target, easily clearing the crossbar.

A brilliant touch on the edge of the box from Nkolo sets up Obassi for a strike from the edge of the box, but he gets it all wrong, slicing the shot well wide.

Another quick move by the Congo midfield tries to give Obassi a chance, but he's being marked by two Ghana players, and is out-muscled just outside the box. Congo have had the bulk of the possession in the last five minutes, but just don't quite have the finishing touch.

Tijani and Obassi clash around 20 yards out, giving Ghana a free kick from a dangerous position. Tijani takes it himself, but it's comfortably saved by Mouyabi.

SUB! 17-year-old Kader Bidimbou comes on for Rudy Bhebey-Ndey to give the Congo some fresh legs in midfield.

Bidimbou looks to have an immediate impact, getting forward on Congo's first attack since his introduction, but Adams manages to beat him to the ball.

SUB! Ghana make their first change of the game with Abdul Mohammed replacing a tired looking Richard Mpong.

The substitute shows blistering pace down the wing as he tries to set up a goal-scoring opportunity for Ghana, but he puts too much on his cross, leaving Tijani unable to reach it.

Congo win another corner, which they take short. Obassi times his run perfectly to fire it into the box, but it's easily cleared by Ghana.

Mounhio takes on three Ghana defender while trying to keep the ball alive for Congo, but he eventually loses out. The Black Stars quickly get it down the other end of the pitch, but can't get a shot away. Some of the tempo and excitement of the first half has started to taper off as the players start to tire.

SUB! Kennedy Boateng comes on for Sulley Mohammed for Ghana. The promising youngster should provide a much-needed burst of energy.

BOOKING! Yahaya Mohammed is just the second player to pick up a yellow card for a nasty collision with Bissiki. In fairness to both teams, the referee has had very little to do this afternoon.

CHANCE! Obassi tries to curl the ball in from a tight angle, but Adams superbly tips the ball wide to give Congo the corner. The Black Stars manage to get the ball clear, but Tijani takes an arm to the face in the process and has to make his way to the sideline for treatment, it looked like he was clutching his nose, but there was no blood.

As the game heads into the final 10 minutes, it's still all to play for. Congo haven't looked quite as pacy as in the first half, but have still created plenty of chances, a late equaliser can't be ruled out. However, Anobaah's first-half strike came against the run of play, so Ghana could still wrap things up before the final whistle.

CHANCE! Kennedy Boateng tries to wrap up the win for Ghana with a lofted effort from range, but his shot ends up on top of the net. Yahaya tries to play the side back in, but the move comes to nothing. Meanwhile there's a late injury concern, as Nuru Sulley appears to have picked up a knock.

Congo's urgency seems to have deserted them in the final five minutes of this match, as they've been allowing Ghana to take their time on the ball. Eventually they get it back and try to push towards the Ghana goal, but the Black Stars have numbers back as they defend against a late equaliser.

The fourth official has revealed that there will be just three minutes of stoppage time, starting with a Congo free kick from just outside the box. Nkounkou has a chance with a header from close range following Obassi's delivery, but he nods it just short of the post.

Ghana win a free kick just outside the penalty area, but Boateng keeps the ball and dribbles it to waste some time with just seconds left to play.

So Theophilus Anobaah's first-half strike is enough for Ghana to start their campaign with a win. Congo will feel hard done by, they arguably created the better of the chances throughout the match, and should have scored just before half time.

Both sides will be back in action later this week, with Ghana facing Libya before Congo take on Ethiopia on Friday.

Well that's all from this match, but join us again in just over half an hour for build up ahead of the second game in Group C, as Libya take on Ethiopia. Until then, thanks for joining me this afternoon, goodbye.