Ghana’s Black Stars will kick off their TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 preparations by assembling in Johannesburg next week.
The four-time champions will meet on December 31st to begin a 10-day camp in South Africa ahead of next month’s finals in Cote d’Ivoire, the Ghana FA has announced.
On January 8th, Ghana faces a solitary warm-up friendly match against Botswana before traveling to Abidjan two days later.
Chris Hughton, Black Stars coach, confirmed training sessions at the Johannesburg camp will be closed to the media and public.
Hughton’s side has been drawn into a tricky Group B alongside giants Egypt, Cape Verde, and Mozambique.
They opened their campaign against Cape Verde on January 14th in a rematch of their World Cup playoff earlier this year.
Ghana then takes on record-setting seven-time Afcon winners Egypt on January 18th in a titanic clash between two heavyweights in the continent’s
The Black Stars conclude their group matches versus Mozambique on January 22nd.
Hughton is expected to name a strong squad, including the likes of Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey and West Ham star Mohammed Kudus.
Captain Andre Ayew will lead the squad as he looks to inspire Ghana to its first Afcon triumph since 1982.
With a total of four titles, Ghana is seeking to close the gap on Egypt's and Cameroon’s record tally of five AFCON wins.
After the heartbreak of their 2022 World Cup group stage exit, Ghana are out to make amends on the international stage in Cote d’Ivoire.
But with tricky group opponents, Hughton knows his squad faces a stern test if they are to advance deep into the tournament.
The manager will hope a focused Johannesburg training camp can help Ghana find their best form before the Afcon begins.
With Ayew, Partey, and others on board, Ghana still possesses the undeniable quality to conquer Africa again 40 years after their last success.
