Ghana have dropped Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey for their crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Angola and Niger, with the first of the matchday five games set for Wednesday.
Under-pressure coach Otto Addo declined to reveal why the 31-year-old, who has 13 goals in 49 caps, was left out. “My reasons are confidential. I hope he’ll return for the next international window in March (World Cup qualifiers),” he said.
In another shake-up involving Premier League players, Leicester City forward Jordan Ayew will now captain the team, replacing West Ham’s Mohamed Kudus. Kudus had led the Black Stars in last month’s matches against Sudan, where Ghana picked up just one point, putting them at risk of missing the finals for the first time since 2004.
As the third-most successful country in Afcon history with four titles, Ghana sits third in Group F with just two points from four games. They need to secure an away win over leaders Angola on Friday and a home win against Niger three days later to stay in contention to overtake second-placed Sudan and qualify for the 2025 tournament in Morocco.
Meanwhile, Sudan only need one point from their games against Niger and Angola to book their place, despite playing home matches outside their war-torn country.
Here, AFP Sport previews five other crucial matchday five fixtures, which will take place from Wednesday to Saturday, with the final round of qualifiers scheduled for the following days.
Benin v Nigeria
Reigning African Footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen is back from injury for Nigeria’s Group D matches against Benin and Rwanda, with just one point needed to secure qualification.
Caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen has a wealth of attacking options, including Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Victor Boniface, as he finalizes his lineup.
Nigeria will be cautious of Benin, however, remembering their 2-1 loss to the same team, then led by former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr, in a World Cup qualifier last year.
Botswana v Mauritania
Botswana seemed out of contention for a spot in the finals after travel issues led to a heavy 4-0 defeat by Egypt, leaving the Zebras without points and low on morale after two rounds.
However, unexpected back-to-back Group C victories over Cape Verde have now lifted them to second place, trailing only Egypt, who have already qualified. A home win against Mauritania will secure their place in Morocco.
Following the narrow victories over Cape Verde, French coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa left Botswana to join Al Ahly Tripoli, with South African Morena Ramoreboli stepping in as interim coach.
Gambia v Comoros
Comoros pulled off a major shock last month by defeating Tunisia with a goal from Rafiki Said, snapping the Carthage Eagles’ 16-match home winning streak in Afcon qualifiers.
Led by Italian coach Stefano Cusin, the squad—largely made up of players from lower French leagues—will secure qualification from Group A with a win over Gambia.
The game will take place in Berkane, Morocco, as Gambia does not have a stadium meeting international standards.
Uganda v South Africa
Belgian coaches Paul Put (Uganda) and Hugo Broos (South Africa) will go head-to-head in a clash between the probable Group K qualifiers.
Both teams will secure qualification if Congo Brazzaville do not win their away match against an improving South Sudan side, scheduled 24 hours prior.
Uganda’s homegrown forward Denis Omedi has shown strong form, while South Africa will be without injured Burnley forward Lyle Foster, and Al Ahly winger Percy Tau has been omitted from the squad.
Zimbabwe v Kenya
This showdown between nations previously barred from the last Afcon due to government interference presents Zimbabwe with an opportunity to secure Group J qualification with a game in hand.
A draw will be enough for Zimbabwe, managed by German coach Michael Nees, who must host the match in Polokwane, South Africa, due to a lack of suitable venues back home.
Kenya, needing a win to stay in contention alongside already-qualified Cameroon, will rely on Turkish coach Engin Firat, though he may be worried by his team’s struggles, having failed to score in two of their four qualifiers.