W/ Cup 2022 Qualifier: Ghana eye winning start against Ethiopia
Ghana will go head to head with Ethiopia in their maiden 2022 Fifa World Cup qualification Group G match at the Cape Coast Stadium on Friday.
Kick-off is at 9:00 pm CAT.
The Black Stars are desperate to return to winning ways, having failed to win their last two matches – drawing with Ivory Coast after losing to Morocco in friendly games two months ago.
Having failed to qualify for the last World Cup finals which were hosted by Russia in 2018, Ghana are determined to book their place in the global tournament for the fourth time.
Charles Akonnor, the Ghana head coach, says his team will work hard in order to qualify for next year’s showpiece which will be hosted by Qatar.
“We know all the teams. South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Ethiopia will do their bit to get there [Qatar]. But we will put in hard work and we know that hard work pays,” Akonnor said.
“The last [World Cup] we went to was in Brazil. We didn’t qualify for the last one. And we are hoping and believing that this is the time for us to be back there.”
Exciting attacking midfielder Mohammed Kudus of Ajax Amsterdam in the Netherlands is one of Ghana’s key players as they target a winning start to their group G campaign.
Meanwhile, Ethiopia are in good form at the moment as they are undefeated in their last two matches, having secured a win over Uganda and a draw against Sierra Leone earlier this month.
Nicknamed Walia Ibex, Ethiopia have never appeared in the World Cup finals and they are hoping to stun the continent by going all the way and qualifying for the 2022 tournament.
Shimelis Bekele, the Walia Ibex captain and attacking midfielder, has handed his side a massive boost by joining the team’s camp.
“I will join our national team tomorrow morning [Sunday, August 29] for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Ghana,” Bekele, the Misr Lel Makkasa star, said.
“My country flag of Ethiopia, I am very proud to be represented in any kind of competition.”
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Ethiopia will look to lethal striker Abubeker Nassir, who scored an impressive 29 goals in 23 appearances for Ethiopia Bunna FC, and he will pose a threat to the Ghana defence.
The previous encounter between Ghana and Ethiopia was on 18 November 2018.
Ghana claimed a 2-0 win over Ethiopia in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Addis Ababa Stadium in Ethiopia.