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AFCON Qualifiers: Kurk Okraku arrives in Kumasi ahead of AFCON Angola clash
Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, arrived in Kumasi on Tuesday ahead of the Black Stars 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Angola, scheduled for Thursday, September 5, 2024.
The President touched down at the Prempeh I International Airport at 17:00GMT (5pm local time) to engage in a number of official engagements ahead of the match against the Palancas Negras at the Baba Yara Stadium.
The match will Kick off at 16:00 GMT (4pm local time).
The GFA boss went straight to the Baba Yara Stadium to watch the team’s first training session in Kumasi, where he was joined by Vice-President Mark Addo and Executive Council member, Dr Ransford Abbey.
The President will also hold a series of meetings with principal football stakeholders during his stay in the passionate football City.
Coach Otto Addo trained with 22 players at the Baba Yara Stadium with Jordan Ayew and Elisha Owusu set to join the rest of the squad tonight.
The Black Stars will be hoping to overcome their opponents having beaten the same side in March 2023 during the 2023 AFCON qualifiers.
Black Stars captain Jordan Ayew says Ghana will leave nothing on the pitch when they face England in today’s World Cup Group L decider at Gillette Stadium.
With both teams on 3 points, Ayew said his job is to ease pressure on the younger players and hold everyone accountable, himself included.
“I’m doing my best to guide the boys, make them comfortable, take pressure off them, and help us perform,” Ayew told reporters. “I have to perform too. They have to perform too. It’s teamwork. We’re helping each other.”
Ghana come into the Foxborough clash after a 1-0 win over Panama in Toronto. England beat Croatia 4-2 in their opener.
The captain’s message was simple, “We’re going to give our 100% and we’re going to fight. I’ll make sure when we come off that pitch, we have no regrets.”
The winner takes control of Group L. Kickoff is 4:00 PM ET at Gillette Stadium.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Black Stars forward Brandon Thomas-Asante insists Ghana will carry no pressure into Tuesday’s World Cup showdown with England at Boston Stadium, saying the team’s self-belief and sense of purpose outweigh outside expectations.
Brandon provided a 95th minute assist that helped Ghana beat Panama 1-0 in Toronto.
The win left both Ghana and England level on three points in Group L following the Three Lions 4-2 over Croatia in their opening match.
Speaking to ghanafa.org Thomas-Asante is adamant that external doubt only fuels the squad.
“Everything to the best ability, it’s very much a case of we back ourselves, we believe in ourselves. Whether people on the outside doubt us, believe us, or anything that’s not what we think about. We think about why we’re here. We’re on a mission,” Thomas-Asante said.
The Coventry City forward said that mission removes any weight of expectation. “That means there’s no pressure. It’s even less pressure for us,” he explained.
“We know our fans believe, but we know that some people might want to overlook us. We use that to our advantage preparing properly and believing that we can go and do something,” He added.
England and Ghana both sit on three points heading into the Foxborough clash, with the winner set to take control of Group L. Kickoff at Boston Stadium on Tuesday.
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