AFCON 2017 - Ghana in tough group
Ghana begin their search for an elusive fifth African Cup glory with a difficult clash against nemesis Uganda on January 17 in a Group D clash of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, with the Black Stars facing a similar path to another continental glory as their difficult journey to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
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Ghana’s quest to end a 34-year continental drought faces a strong test from their World Cup group opponents, Uganda and Egypt, who were all drawn in the same group alongside West African rivals, Mali.
Ironically, the Stars’ World Cup campaign got of on a shaky start with a scoreless draw with the Cranes of Uganda in Tamale this month and next month Avram Grant’s charges have a date with the Pharaohs in Alexandria, Egypt.
Uganda’s last Nations Cup game resulted in a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Ghana in the 1978 AFCON final in Accra, and they return to Africa’s big stage in Gabon after a 38-year absence to face Grant’s side in Port Gentil, having dominated the Ghanaians in their last three clashes.
The two sides clashed in the qualifiers for the 2015 Nations Cup, holding the Stars to a 1-1 draw in Kumasi before defeating the Stars 1-0 in Kampala.
The East African side were hardly considered among the continent’s leading sides, but their sensational qualification to the 2017 AFCON and their recent dominance over Ghana makes them one of the teams to watch in Group D.
Another tough opponent for Ghana in the group is eight-time champion, Egypt, who also denied the Black Stars a fifth continental glory at the 2010 Nations Cup in 2010 in Angola, beating the Milovan Rajevac-led team 1-0 in the final.
The Pharaohs, who crossed Ghana’s path again in the qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, will play the Stars in their final group match on January 25 at the Stade de Port-Gentil.
The Eagles of Mali will face the Stars in the second group game on January 22. It will be their third Nations Cup meeting in recent times, having met at the group stage at the 2012 tourney in Gabon and the 2013 AFCON in South Africa.
Another group to watch is Group B where two north African giants Algeria and Tunisia come against Senegal and Zimbabwe.
Below are the Groups and their host cities
GROUP A (Libreville):
Gabon, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Guinea Bissau
GROUP B (Franceville):
Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Zimbabwe
GROUP C (Oyem):
Cote d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Morocco, Togo
GROUP D (Port Gentil):
Ghana ,Mali, Egypt, Uganda.