Former champions Ghana in desperate fight for AFCON survival
JOHANNESBURG — Embattled Ghana coach Otto Addo says they must beat Sudan in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Tuesday to have a chance of reaching the 2025 finals.
“We have to win,” the 49-year-old in a second stint as Black Stars boss told reporters after they were held 0-0 at home by Sudan in a third-round Group F clash.
Four-time African champions Ghana squandered several glaring chances to break the deadlock in Accra, and trail leaders Angola by seven points and Sudan by two halfway through qualifying.
The top two finishers after matchday 6 in November secure places at the 24-team finals of a competition Ghana last won in 1982 in Tripoli.
They last failed to qualify 21 years ago.
Ghana faces a desperate fight for survival in Libyan city Benghazi, where Sudan is temporarily based as they cannot play at home with a civil war raging in the vast northeast African country.
“Where we finish is in our hands,” added Otto, referring to a team captained by Mohammed Kudus of West Ham, but missing another Premier League midfielder, injured Thomas Partey of Arsenal.
Here, AFP Sport highlights five other matchday 4 qualifiers scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, including former champions Tunisia seeking revenge for a shock home defeat by Comoros.
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana was mobbed by football fans in Uganda last month after a Group J clash with Zimbabwe, who could not play at home as they lack a suitable venue.
But Ugandan supporters of the Old Trafford club will not be able to see him playing in Kampala on Monday because Kenya, 4-1 losers in Yaounde, are hosting the return match behind closed doors.
Kenya cannot play at home due to stadium renovations and their reasons for barring spectators include cost cutting, ensuring the safety of Onana and preventing Ugandans backing Cameroon.
Libya vs Nigeria
It will concern caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen that Nigeria took 86 minutes in Uyo before Fisayo Dele-Bashiru scored the only goal to sink Libya in Group D.
He was spoilt for choice when it came to forwards, with the seven he chose in the absence of injured star Victor Osimhen all playing for top-five European leagues clubs.
But Ademola Lookman, the lone African contender for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, and his Super Eagles teammates misfired, and now face the Mediterranean Knights in an intimidating Benghazi venue.
Mauritania vs Egypt
Mauritania coach Amir Abdou is puzzled after his team was described by Egypt counterpart Hossam Hassan as “playing hard and with violent interventions”.
“We committed fewer fouls than Egypt and received the same number of yellow cards [three],” he told reporters after a 2-0 Group C loss in Cairo to the runaway leaders.
Liverpool ace Mohamed Salah, scorer of the Pharaohs’ second goal, will miss the return match on an artificial Nouakchott pitch because Hassan does not want to risk his captain being injured.
Congo vs South Africa
South Africa coach Hugo Broos has warned his squad that Congo Brazzaville are likely to be a very different proposition at home after suffering a 5-0 matchday 3 drubbing in Group K.
“The Congolese are technically good and very dangerous when they play at home,” said the 72-year-old Belgian, who coached Cameroon to the 2017 AFCON title.
Broos will be hoping for another five-star showing from midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who shrugged off fears of rustiness due to lack of club game time by scoring twice.
Comoros vs Tunisia
The major matchday 3 shock came when Tunisia surrendered a 16-match winning streak at home in AFCON qualifiers by losing 1-0 to Comoros.
Rafiki Said from French second division club Troyes completed a mid-second half counterattack by slamming a low shot into the far corner from inside the box.
Comoros are 82 places below Tunisia in the world rankings and lack an international-standard stadium, so they will host the return match in Ivorian commercial capital Abidjan.