By Jeremiah Nutsugah
The stage is set for an electrifying encounter at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium as Ghana’s Black Stars prepare to take on Angola in their opening 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match.
With the team seeking redemption after a disappointing group-stage exit in the previous tournament, the highly anticipated clash promises to be a thrilling spectacle, filled with skill, determination
Following a disappointing group-stage exit at the recent AFCON, which led to the dismissal of former coach Chris Hughton, the Black Stars are now seeking to secure three consecutive wins across all competitions for the first time since July-August 2022 under Coach Otto Addo.
Ahead of the match, Ghanaians have shared their expectations, with some fans expressing high hopes and others voicing concerns. Jeff, a die-hard fan, predicted a 3-1 win for Ghana, stating, “I am supporting Blackstars fully today. If it doesn’t go well, we just laugh it off.”
David Appiah also predicted a win for Ghana, citing the inclusion of new players like Abdul Mumin as a boost to the team’s strength.
However, a female football lover Deborah from Lapaz stated that Ghana was going to losewas of the view that the game doesn’t look like a winning match for the Ghanaian team. He attributed his stance to the lack of confidence in the team representing Ghana.
“In my opinion, if you compare the current Blackstars to that of Angola I think we are losing today. But then, in the game of football anything can happen so let’s just be optimistic”.
Supporting the stance that the Blackstars will not win today Philip a graduate from Legon stated that the loss will be due to the weak defense system the team has. He predicting the outcome of the match stated that Angola will win 1-0 against Ghana or at most 2-1. He said although the Ghanaian team will do their best, he’s still not confident they will win.
A Jersey seller at Lapaz called James also predicted a 2-1 win against Angola. According to him, looking at the quality of the players, especially the midfielders, he believes Blackstars will possess the ball more. “Also, the energy levels of the individual players will help the team to press a lot when they lose the ball. I’m hopeful that our strikers will be more direct so we can score enough goals.”
The Black Stars aim to secure a crucial victory, building on their previous encounters with Angola, where they won 1-0 at home and drew 1-1 away.
