The Black Stars would attempt to breathe life into the shaky 2027 AFCON qualiers when they face the Scorpions of The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium today at 4pm.
Sadly, they would face that stern test without experience defender, Alexander Djiku who suffered an injury in the Matchday 1 defeat to Cote d’Ivoire in Bouake.
It is an unfortunate setback for the Ghana defender who returned to the national team has been gradual after missing Ghana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign through injury.
The defender was forced off during the match and had hoped to recover in time for the home fixture against The Gambia.
However, he has now been confirmed unavailable, leaving Head Coach Carlos Queiroz with another defensive headache as Ghana seek their first points of the qualifying campaign.
Djiku’s absence comes at a difficult time for the Black Stars, who have already seen several key players ruled out of the qualifiers through injuries and fitness concerns.
Captain Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Kudus and Antoine Semenyo were among the notable absentees for the opening fixture, while other players have also been unavailable during the international window.
Kudus, who was initially recalled after recovering from a lengthy injury lay-off, subsequently withdrew from the squad to continue his recovery to regain full fitness.
Djiku’s return had been expected to provide experience and stability to a defence undergoing changes under Queiroz.
His latest injury, however, means the Portuguese coach must once again adjust his plans for a match Ghana cannot afford to approach lightly.
The Gambia, meanwhile, arrive in Accra with three points after beating Somalia 2-1 in their opening Group C fixture.
The result gives the Scorpions an early advantage and adds importance to today’s encounter.
For Ghana, the immediate task is to respond to the defeat in Côte d’Ivoire and get the qualifying campaign back on track.
Queiroz is expected to rely on the available defensive options, including Jonas Adjetey, Jerome Opoku, Gideon Mensah and other members of his squad, as he searches for a combination capable of keeping The Gambia’s attack under control.
The coach will also have to find a way to compensate for the experience lost through Djiku’s absence.
His latest set, therefore, represents another twist in what has already been a challenging start to Ghana’s qualification campaign.
Ghana will, therefore, be seeking a strong response in front of the home supporters.
The Black Stars will also be aware that another slip could increase the pressure on the team early in the four-team Group C, which also includes Côte d’Ivoire and Somalia.
For Queiroz, replacing Djiku will be one of the key decisions before kick-off, but the larger challenge will be ensuring that Ghana overcome their growing injury problems and produce the result needed to revive their campaign.
The Gambia, having started with a victory, will be hoping to leave Accra with another positive result.
Ghana, however, will enter the contest determined to turn the page on the Bouaké defeat and begin their home campaign with a response.
By Enoch Ntiamoah Siaw
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