AFCON 2023: Ghana Begin Trophy Quest Against Cape Verde

Ghana kick off their pursuit of a fifth Africa Cup of Nations title on Sunday, facing Cape Verde in the second match of Group B at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium.

The Black Stars faced a humbling exit at AFCON 2021, bowing out in the group stage, and are determined to surpass that disappointing performance this time. Meanwhile, Cape Verde aims to exceed expectations once again.

The Black Stars' premature elimination in the previous Cup of Nations marked a significant low for the four-time African champions, experiencing such an early exit for the first time since the 2006 edition.

Despite this setback, the West African nation has rebounded, thriving at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and securing the top spot in their qualifying group for the continental showpiece with three draws and as many wins in six games.

Chris Hughton's side, still unconvincing, raises uncertainty about whether the Black Stars can rectify their disappointing performance from two years ago in Cameroon.

Mohammed Kudus is anticipated to lead the charge as the Black Stars are eager to secure another title since their last triumph in 1982.

However, the West African giants must elevate its performance to avoid early exits, reminiscent of the 2019 round of 16 elimination or the previous edition's group phase departure.

Cape Verde faces Sunday's fixture without fear, with the Blue Sharks capable of making the Black Stars uncomfortable if they are purposeful upfront.

Bubista leads the Portuguese-speaking nation to another finals appearance, having guided the side to a round of 16 place at AFCON 2021, advancing as one of the best third-placed teams in the group stage.

Despite not being regular participants, Cape Verde has advanced out of the group twice (2013 and 2021) in three appearances at the finals, possibly providing Bubista's men with the confidence needed to navigate a tough draw.

While a 2-0 loss to Tunisia in their friendly game ahead of the tourney, Cape Verde understand that their opponents are under more pressure to secure maximum points in Sunday's game.

This allows them to play without fear against the Black Stars, creating an intriguing dynamic as they aim to improve upon their previous performance when they finished fourth in their group without claiming a victory.

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Although Kudus faced uncertainty due to injury, the West Ham player is expected to be fit to start on Sunday, with Inaki Williams leading the Black Stars' attack.

Bournemouth striker Antoine Semenyo, also recovering from injury, did not feature in the goalless non-competitive game against Namibia and may not be hastily reinstated in the starting lineup.

Cape Verde, displaying a statistical quirk with eight different goalscorers in qualifying, suggests they are a team not dependent on a single player for success, contributing to their unpredictability.

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Fortunately, the Blue Sharks enter the encounter without any reported injuries, and Bubista is anticipated to deploy a 4-3-3 formation against the Ghanaians.

Ghana possible starting lineup: