Four-time African champions  Ghana return to action in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers when they go head to head with  Chad at the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday.

While the visitors find themselves rock-bottom in Group I, the Black Stars have enjoyed a solid qualifying campaign, claiming seven points from their four games so far to sit third in the table, only behind second-placed Chad in the playoff spot on goal difference.

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Ghana failed to secure their spot in the 2025 African Nations Championship as they suffered a 3-1 aggregate defeat at the hands of fellow West African powerhouse Nigeria in their final outing of 2024 back in December.

Having held on for a goalless draw in Accra on December 22, Ghana found themselves trailing by three goals inside 25 minutes one week later as  Ismaila Sodiq,Nduka Junior,and Isaac Savior hit the target to put Nigeria in a commanding lead before Stephen Amankona   netted a 73rd-minute consolation.

This followed a forgettable campaign in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, where Ghana failed to win any of their six games in Group F, losing three and claiming three draws to finish rock-bottom in the standings with three points from a possible 18.

While Otto Addo’s  men have failed to win each of their last eight matches across all competitions, they now return to action in the World Cup qualifiers, where they have won three of their four matches in Group I, seeing off Madagascar, Mali and Central African Republic.

The Black Stars’ only defeat in the qualifiers came in November 2023, when they were beaten 1-0 by Comoros at the Stade de Moroni courtesy of a first-half strike from 26-year-old forward Myziane Maolida.

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Chad, on the other hand, return to action in the World Cup qualifying race in desperate need of a spirit-lifting result as they find themselves rooted to the bottom of the Group I standings, having lost each of their four games so far.

Having suffered consecutive defeats against Mali and Madagascar in November 2023, Les Sao fell to a narrow 1-0 loss against Central African Republic in June 2024, one week before losing 2-0 at the hands of Comoros at the Stade Municipal Oujda.

Chad’s poor performance in the qualifiers has been in no small part owing to their lack of cutting edge in attack, where they have netted just one goal so far while shipping nine at the opposite end of the pitch — only Mauritania are yet to register a goal in the qualifiers.

While Tahir Gardia’s   men will be looking to turn a corner this year and kickstart their qualifying race, recent results offer little optimism as they have failed to win any of their last 11 matches across all competitions, claiming five draws and losing six.

This poor run of results saw Chad finish rock-bottom in Group G of the 2025 AFCON qualifiers with just three points from a possible 18 before suffering a 4-2 aggregate defeat against Congo DR in December’s CHAN playoffs.

Team News

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Ghana will be boosted by the return of Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey   to the national team setup, ending the 31-year-old’s six-month absence due to several injuries.

Partey headlines the Black Stars’ 23-man squad, including the likes of ,Mohammed Salisu,Inaki Williams,Mohammed Kudus  ,Leicester City’s  Jordan Ayew and Bournemouth attacker Antoine Semenyo .

Addo has also handed Genk winger Christopher Bonsu Baah  his first-ever senior call-up, while Kamaradini Mamudu (Medeama SC),  Razak Simpson (Nations FC) and  Benjamin Asare (Hearts of Oak), are the three home-based players named in the squad.

As for Chad, head coach Gardia has named a 25-man squad for March’s qualifying games against Ghana and Comoros with the majority of the players selected from domestic clubs.

AS PS have contributed 14 of the 25, including Abdoulaye Mahamat  , Allarabaye Yves and Mahamat Abakar , while only Tajikistan-based goalkeeper Mbaynaissem Jourdainand Castuera midfielder Mahamat Thiam Maintah   have been selected from foreign clubs.

Ghana possible starting lineup:
Zigi; Mensah, Dijku, Salisu, Opoku; Partey, Owusu; Semenyo, Kudus, Williams; Ayew

Chad possible starting lineup:
Jourdain; Abderamane, Felix, H Abakar, Allaramadji; Maintah, Allarabaye Yves, Lingar, Abderamane; Yannick, Goukoui