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| Ghana Black Stars Squad Photo Credit: GFA Communications |
Ghana have been drawn against Morocco and Gabon at the delayed 2021 Africa cup of Nations.
The Black Stars will also play Comoros in Group C. Charles Akonnor’s side will begin their campaign against Morocco – a side they lost 1-0 to in a friendly earlier this year – on January 10. Their next match is against Gabon, led by Arsenal star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and then end their group stage campaign against debutants Comoros. The tournament’s opening game will see Cameroon host Burkina Faso in Yaounde on 9 January. Nigeria are in the same group with seven-time champions Egypt and reigning champions Algeria will face Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea. Black Stars coming up against a tough opponent and former champion Morocco in the group stage was expected because they were not seeded. The top seeds for this tournament’s draw was determined by the August FIFA rankings, in which the four-time African champions occupy the seventh spot on the continent. The winners and runners-up in each pool, plus the best four third-placed teams will advance to the knockout phase. The 2021 Nations Cup had to be postponed twice due to wet weather concerns and Covid-19 and even the draw, originally set for June, was delayed by the pandemic. Cameroon were selected to stage the 2019 tournament, but fell behind with their preparation and Egypt had to take over at short notice. The tournament will run from 9 January to 6 February, with Ghana hoping to be involved in the final match and winning the trophy for the first time in four decades. AFCON groups : Group A : Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ethiopie, Cape Verde Group B : Senegal, Zimbabwe, Guinee, Malawi Group C : Morocco, Ghana, Comoros, Gabon Group D : Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan, Guinea-Bissau Group E : Algeria, Sierra-Leone, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire Group F : Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Gambia Source: 3news.com |