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The struggling Black Stars cannot afford a loss in the Group F match in Accra, especially against opponents ranked 50 places lower in the world.
Ghana has had a disappointing start to their campaign for the finals in Morocco, having lost at home to Angola last month and then relinquishing a lead in a draw against Niger, placing them third in a group where only the top two teams will qualify.
Angola and Sudan currently occupy the top two spots with six and three points, respectively, after the initial two matches in this six-round competition.
Appiah, who is 64 and has previously coached Ghana on two occasions, has made a notable impact with Sudan, a team that has been unable to play at home since last year due to civil unrest.
Sudan leads their group in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, which includes Senegal, and features a reliable scorer in Mohamed Abdelrahman.
Ghana's coach Otto Addo is dealing with the absence of four players from his squad due to injuries, with Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey being the most significant loss.
AFP Sport also highlights five other matches scheduled over three days starting Thursday, with Matchday 4 set to commence on Sunday and continue through Tuesday.
Nigeria v Libya
In the Nigeria vs. Libya match, injured 2023 African Footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen will not participate.
However, caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen has a selection of forwards from seven players competing in top European leagues. Among them is Ademola Lookman, the sole African nominee for this year's Ballon d'Or, who is expected to start for the Group D leaders in Uyo.
Libya, currently at the bottom of the group, has dismissed Serbian coach Milutin Sredojevic, and local replacement Nasser al Hadhiri has acknowledged that “a draw in Nigeria would be a positive result for us.”
South Africa v Congo
South Africa will be without the injured 'super sub' Thalente Mbatha and unavailable winger Percy Tau, while midfielder Jayden Adams has been excluded from the squad due to unspecified disciplinary issues.
The 2024 AFCON bronze medallists had a lackluster performance last month, with Mbatha managing to score late goals that secured a draw against Uganda and a victory over South Sudan.
Congo has faced difficulties, highlighted by a significant six-goal defeat to Morocco during World Cup qualifying, and they are expected to leave the eastern coastal city of Gqeberha without any points.
Cameroon v Kenya
In the match between Cameroon and Kenya, Cameroon, the second most successful nation in AFCON history with five titles, will rely on Bryan Mbeumo for scoring as they host an improving Kenya in a crucial Group J clash.
The France-born forward has netted six goals in the Premier League for Brentford this season, a figure only surpassed by Erling Haaland of Manchester City, who has ten.
Andre Onana, the goalkeeper for Cameroon and Manchester United, has stated that the Harambee Stars represent “the only serious threat” in a group that also includes Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Egypt v Mauritania
In the encounter between Egypt and Mauritania, Mauritania will have to face not only prolific Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah but also Bundesliga standout Omar Marmoush when they take on Group C leaders Egypt.
Marmoush is currently leading the scoring charts in the German top division with eight goals for Eintracht Frankfurt, outpacing England's Harry Kane, who has five for Bayern Munich.
Egypt's captain Salah arrived in Cairo as the all-time leading African scorer in the UEFA Champions League, surpassing Ivorian Didier Drogba with his 45th goal in the competition against Bologna.
Senegal v Malawi
Senegal, the champions of the 2022 AFCON, will be under the guidance of Pape Thiaw following the non-renewal of coach Aliou Cisse’s contract after nine years.
Cisse's unexpected departure came after he did not achieve the targets set by the sports ministry, which included reaching the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup and winning consecutive AFCON titles.
Thiaw, 43, assisted Cisse, and will expect to make a winning debut at home to Malawi, who conceded six goals when losing Group L qualifiers against Burundi and Burkina Faso.