Ghana look to end disappointing campaign with Niger win

Ghana will tussle it out with Niger in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification group F match at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday.

Kick-off is at 6:00 pm CAT.

CURRENT FORM 

The Black Stars' hopes of qualifying ended following their 1-1 draw with Angola away on 15 November and they are winless in their last five matches across all competitions having registered two defeats and three draws.

Therefore, Ghana are occupying the fourth spot in the group standings with three points from five matches and they will be looking to end their disappointing group F campaign with a victory over the Menas.

Meanwhile, Niger boosted their qualifying ambitions by hammering Sudan 4-0 at home on 14 November as they snapped a four-match winless run across all competitions, having registered three defeats and one draw. 

As a result, the Menas are placed third in the group standings and a victory over Ghana would see Niger qualify for the Afcon finals if Angola defeat Sudan in the other group F match on the same day.

TEAM NEWS

New Ghana captain Jordan Ayew and his teammates Gideon Mensah, Alidu Seidu and Fatawu Issahaku have been ruled out of the match against Niger due to injuries.

The abovementioned quartet has been replaced by Kamaradini Mamudu, Jerry Afriyie and Ebenezer Abban as coach Otto Addo makes changes in his squad. 

WHAT WAS SAID?

Ghana head coach Otto Addo 

"I'm going to say we think in general we have to look at the whole games, especially our home games," Oddo said on the Ghana FA website.

"We lost let's say also to Angola where we were better, played better, created chances but sadly we lost... In these tournaments you have to win your home games, 

"That's very important and if you don't win it's always difficult to play away and to try and win, it's always difficult because everybody, every nation is strong at home."

Niger head coach Ezzaki Badou 

“We saw Ghana at the [2023] Afcon in Abidjan but it wasn’t good. They have big players, a big team, and players with good performance," Badou told Ghanasportspage.com.

“We watched Ghana at the World Cup 2010, and they almost qualified for the semi-finals. There is a mass difference between that team and the current team. They are not strong in attack and defence.

“They concede many goals. They conceded three goals against the Central African Republic [in the 2026 World Cup qualifier] at home which is not normal. They concede goals every time."

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Ghana and Niger have met 15 times across all competitions. The Black Stars have won 11 matches compared to the Menas' two victories, while two games ended in a draw. 

The last time the two teams met they drew 1-1 in the 2025 Afcon qualifier played in Berkane, Morocco on 5 September.