The Black Stars of Ghana face a daunting opening assignment in the race for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations when they travel to Bouaké on Thursday to confront Côte d’Ivoire in a heavyweight West African encounter that could immediately set the tone for their qualifying campaign.
The match at the Stade de la Paix brings together two former African champions, but Ghana will enter the contest under circumstances that have changed significantly since Carlos Queiroz announced his original squad.
The Black Stars have been hit by a series of player unavailabilities, with two of their most prominent attacking names, Mohammed Kudus and Antoine Semenyo, now confirmed to be unavailable for the encounter.
Kudus, who had initially been named in the squad after returning from a lengthy injury absence, subsequently opted out to concentrate on completing his recovery and regaining full fitness.
Semenyo's late withdrawal adds another major blow to Ghana's attacking options, leaving Queiroz to rethink his plans for an encounter in which the Black Stars will need both attacking pace and creativity to trouble a strong Ivorian side.
The situation has compelled the Ghana technical team to bring in nine additional players to reinforce the squad, providing an opportunity for a number of players to step into the international spotlight at a particularly demanding moment.
The changes mean Ghana's preparation has been less than straightforward, but they also present an intriguing question, can the Black Stars demonstrate enough depth and collective strength to compensate for the absence of some of their biggest names?
Queiroz will have to find the right combination from the experienced players available to him and the fresh faces brought into the squad.
Jordan Ayew, Ernest Nuamah, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku and Ibrahim Osman are among the attacking options available, while the midfield and defensive departments also contain players capable of providing the discipline required for an away assignment of this magnitude.
The original squad already represented a blend of established players and emerging talent.
Standing in Ghana's way is an Ivorian side entering a new chapter under a coach who needs little introduction to African football.
Hervé Renard has returned for a second spell as head coach of Côte d’Ivoire and has immediately begun rebuilding the Elephants, naming eight new players in his first squad. His selection nevertheless retains considerable experience and quality, giving him a mixture of established international stars and emerging talent.
Renard brings something else to Thursday's encounter, a remarkable African pedigree. The French coach has won the Africa Cup of Nations twice, first with Zambia in 2012 and then with Côte d’Ivoire in 2015.
His return to the Ivorian bench therefore carries considerable historical significance.
There is also a Ghanaian connection to Renard. Before establishing himself as one of Africa's most successful international coaches, he worked as part of Claude Le Roy's technical team with Ghana. His knowledge of Ghanaian football adds another interesting dimension to an already intriguing contest.
Renard has also wasted little time in assembling a squad capable of competing at the highest level.
The Ivorian selection includes experienced figures alongside emerging players, with the likes of Franck Kessié, Ibrahim Sangaré, Evan Ndicka and Ousmane Diomandé providing a strong core around which the new-look Elephants can be built. CAF describes the selection as the beginning of a new cycle under Renard.
For Ghana, therefore, Thursday's game would be about much more than simply opening their AFCON qualifying account.
It will be a test of Queiroz's ability to adapt, the depth of the Black Stars squad and the capacity of players who may not ordinarily command the spotlight to step forward when their country needs them most.
For Côte d’Ivoire, playing at home provides the backdrop for Renard's second coming, and the Elephants will be keen to begin the new cycle with a performance capable of sending an early message to their Group C rivals.
With Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire both possessing a rich footballing history, the encounter has all the ingredients of a classic West African contest, quality, rivalry, tactical intrigue, emerging talent and the pressure of beginning an AFCON qualifying campaign on the right note.
The absence of Kudus and Semenyo has undoubtedly altered the complexion of the Ghanaian side, but it could also create the platform for new heroes to emerge.
When the two former continental champions meet under the lights in Bouaké on Thursday, the question will not only be whether Ghana can cope without two of its biggest attacking names, but whether the Black Stars can turn adversity into collective strength against a Côte d’Ivoire side led by a coach who knows exactly what it takes to conquer Africa.
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