Addo set to pit his wits against compatriot Appiah

Ghana head coach Otto Addo wants to see "passion and commitment" from his players as he plots a first win in 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying against Sudan at the Accra Sports Stadium on Thursday, October 10.

Kick-off is at 6pm CAT (SA, GMT+2)

Current form:

The Black Stars have just one point to show for their efforts in Group F after going down 1-0 to Angola in Kumasi on September 5 before playing out to a 1-1 draw with Niger in Berkane four days later.

Addo's side have a lot of work to do as they trail the Black Sable Antelopes by five points in third place ahead of their double-header with the Falcons of Jediane.

The West Africans will come up against familiar face in Kwesi Appiah, who held the reins of the national team for two spells and guided them to the 2014 World Cup.

Sudan made a positive start to their qualifying campaign after beating the Menas 1-0 in Juba on September 4 and they pushed Angola all the way in Talatona the following week, but ultimately succumbed to a 2-1 defeat.

The Falcons of Jediane currently occupy the second qualifying berth for the tournament in Morocco and are two points clear of Ghana and three behind the Southwestern Africans.

Appiah admitted the civil unrest in the Northeastern African country affected his team's preparations for their first two matches as they had to train in Ethiopia, where the weather hindered their time on the pitch.

What was said:

Ghana head coach Otto Addo

"Going into this game against Sudan, I am very sure we have the highest probability to succeed if we bring in the passion, the spirit, and the commitment.

"That is what I look out for in my players - passion and commitment. Those who show it are the ones I trust to give their all on the field."

Sudan head coach Kwesi Appiah

"Before our game with Niger, [not having players playing competitively] was a big problem I was facing because most of our players were not playing competitively. With the exception of the Al Hilal and Al Merrick players, all the other players were still on break.

"They were all on break so it was difficult for me and unfortunately, we had to camp in Ethiopia where almost every day it was raining so training became something difficult for us.

"Sometimes you will be on the pitch and the Ethiopians will come that it is their time also to train and we have no choice but to leave. For about three to four days, we couldn't have proper training. Our preparation before the Niger and Angola games was not the best."

Players to watch:

Ghana - Antoine Semenyo has been in fine form for Bournemouth in the opening two months of the 2024-25 season, scoring three goals in seven Premier League apprearances. The 24-year-old striker will be hoping to carry that form over onto the international stage as he looks to end a barren spell stretching back 16 games.

Sudan - Mohamed Abdelrahman is the dangerman in the team and registered his 14th international goal as the Falcons of Jediane beat neighbours South Sudan 3-0 in a 2026 World Cup qualifier four months ago. The 31-year-old striker also played a starring role for Al Hilal, scoring three goals to help them qualify for the CAF Champions League group stages.

Head-to-Head:

Matches - 10

Ghana wins - 7

Sudan wins