Ghana eyes perfect record as Gyan closes in on new milestone
Ghana will be aiming to make it a perfect record at their 2017 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) group campaign with a win against Egypt this evening, while team captain Asamoah Gyan could rewrite the books with a landmark achievement in Ghana football.
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The Black Stars will aim to win their third straight game to top Group D even though the team have already booked their place in the quarter-finals after wins against Uganda and Mali at the Stade de Port-Gentil.
But the Egyptians, who lie second in the group with four points after two games, need to avoid defeat today to join Ghana in the last eight of the competition else a favourable result for the Malians against Uganda in Oyem could hand qualification tickets to the West African duo. Ghana’s coach Avram Grant insists his side will not take their feet off the accelerator, while his influential midfielder Andre Ayew sees today’s game as an important dress rehearsal for their important quarter-final encounter on Sunday.
“Egypt is a very good team. We’ll change a few things tactically. We’ll stick to our philosophy. It will be hard, it will be tough. I love challenges.
“The game will be difficult because Egypt are a good side, they have good players, but I will do everything to win this game,” promised Stars coach Avram Grant, who supervised his last training session at the AS Sogara stadium in Port Gentil yesterday.
He was sure of having the full complement of his team except for the withdrawal of defender Baba Rahman due to injury.
Grant’s players go into today’s game more relaxed against the continent’s most successful side who will have a slight psychological edge over the Ghanaians after defeating them 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier at the Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria on November 13, 2016.
Nonetheless, there is no gulf in class among the two sides who have won a total of 11 African titles between them, even though the Pharaohs have won more matches (12) against the Stars (7) in all
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Significantly at the AFCON level, honours are even with both sides boasting a win each and a draw which dates back to the 1970 tournament in the Sudan. Since that 1-1 draw at the Wad Medani Stadium, the two sides clashed again at the group stage of the 1992 tourney in Senegal with the Stars winning 1-0 through a late strike by Anthony Yeboah.
However, Egypt exacted revenge in 2010 when the Pharaohs scored a late winner to reach their seventh continental title.
Both Ayew and Gyan featured in that 2010 AFCON final loss and three other clashes with the Egyptians in World Cup qualifiers, including the recent 0-2 defeat in Alexandria.
For Gyan, whose classic header earned Ghana a 1-0 win over Mali last Saturday, another goal will take his tally to 50 international goals for the national team. His record of 49 goals in 98 games for Ghana is very remarkable since making his international debut in 2003.
He is currently the first and only player to have scored in every AFCON since 2008 and also Ghana’s all-time leading goal scorer at Africa’s showpiece competition with eight goals.
Meanwhile, in the Gabonese city of Oyem, Mali will be seeking to win big against Uganda — who are out of the competition after two straight losses — and hope that Ghana wins against Egypt to sneak past the Pharaohs into the quarter-finals on superior goal difference.
The Cranes, who are back at the Nations Cup for the first time since losing to Ghana in the final of the 1978 tournament, will seek to bow out on a high by denying their West African opponents their first win of the competition.