African Cup of Nations - A Special CAN for Ghana?

Ghana’s Pursuit for Continental Greatness

Ghana, widely considered as one of Africa's football powerhouses, have left an indelible mark on the African Cup of Nations tournament and have a rich history that has been made up of the highs of triumph and the lows of heartbreak. 

The Black Stars etched their name in continental football greatness when they lifted the coveted AFCON trophy for the first time way back in 1963 on their home soil. Fast forward to 1978, and the West Africans once again ascended to glory, bringing home the trophy from the tournament held in Libya. Those successes laid the foundation for Ghana's reputation as a formidable AFCON contender and culminated in a further two titles in 1978 and 1982. 

However, along with the elation of victory has come heartache, and Ghana have now waited over three decades to win Africa’s premier football trophy. The penalty shootout defeat to Ivory Coast in the 2015 final was a bitter pill to swallow, as dreams of a long-awaited AFCON title slipped away once more. But, boasting a squad laden with talent, can the Black Stars once again rise to glory in AFCON 2024? 

Can the Black Stars Rise at AFCON 2024? 

Ghana were long considered one of the elite footballing nations in Africa. Few can forget their incredible showing at the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa when Asamoah Gyan missed a crucial penalty following Luis Suarez’s handball, which denied them an opportunity to reach the semi-final of the competition. 

In recent years, Ghana have had to navigate several setbacks, including financial difficulties and players moving on to join more established footballing nations. As a result, The Black Stars have struggled to keep up with the likes of Morocco, Senegal, Egypt and Tunisia, all of whom have risen to the upper echelons of football in Africa and beyond. 

Despite this, Ghana cannot be discounted as we head to the AFCON 2024 and they reminded us exactly how good they can be during qualification for the tournament. In qualifying, The Blacks Stars topped Group E, which included Angola, Central African Republic and Madagascar and were the only team in the group that completed all six matches unbeaten, with a record of three wins and three draws. 

However, since then, they have posted a mixed bag of results, which included wins over Liberia and Madagascar in the World Cup qualifiers, though they suffered defeat to Comoros in their most recent outing, which followed defeats to the USA and Mexico in international friendlies back in October last year. 

As Ghana prepare for the upcoming AFCON 2024, SportyTrader will be here to cover all their progress, and you can join the Black Stars’ on their journey on our dedicated AFCON betting tips and predictions. 

AFCON 2024 - Ghana’s Fixture List

Ghana have been drawn into Group B, which features African powerhouses Egypt, as well as the steadily improving Cape Verde and the dark horses Mozambique. To achieve automatic qualification to the knockout stages, Ghana will need to finish in the top two places in their group. The four sides with the best record that finish third in their group will also be granted the right of passage to the next round. 

Here are Ghana’s group-stage fixtures. 

• Monday, January 15 - Ghana vs Cape Verde - Stade Felix Houphouet Boigny
• Friday, January 19 - Egypt vs Ghana - Stade Felix Houphouet Boigny
• Tuesday, January 23 - Mozambique vs Ghana - Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe

Don’t forget, you can catch all the action from the 2024 competition on AFCON live scores, where you will find the most updated stats, odds and commentary to help with your betting decisions during the tournament. 

What Bets to Make on Ghana in the 2024 AFCON?

First, let’s consider the basics. Ghana are currently ranked 61st according to FIFA World Rankings, which places them 11th across all teams from Africa. In terms of going on to win the competition, The Black Stars are currently ninth favourite and odds of around 16.0 are currently available on them from Bet365. 

However, the first hurdle for the Ghanaians will be to navigate the group stages, and their undoubted biggest test will come from Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, who are heavily fancied to top Group B. Still, Ghana are the clear second-choice to win the group according to the bookmakers and are currently showing up at odds of 2.5 with Betway to edge The Pharaohs for the top spot. 

Ghana’s first match represents an excellent opportunity to claim their first points in the competition against Cape Verde. Still a relatively new entry to the AFCON stage, Cape Verde will be making their fourth appearance in the AFCON competition this year and head into the tournament as the 14th-ranked side in Africa. The Black Stars are huge favourites in this one and are priced at 1.75 with William Hill to get their tournament started with a victory. 

Match two for Ghana is set to be a blockbuster, and many are already expecting that the winner of this match will go on to win Group B. Egypt enters the tournament as the third-favourites to go all the way and will be the clear bookmakers' choice in this match. If Ghana wins this match, expect sizeable returns on your wagers, but we advise that you exercise caution in this one, as Egypt have been in excellent form leading up to the competition. 

The final match of the group could prove to be a do-or-die situation for Ghana if they are unable to beat Egypt in game two. Mozambique are The Black Stars' opponent in this match, and The Mambas are the ranked outsiders to qualify from Group B. On paper, Ghana should win this match comfortably, but keep an eye on both team's performances in the two preceding matches for clues on how they are likely to perform in this one. Don't hesitate to take a look at our AFCON odds comparator to help you place your bet!

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