2012 AFCON Qualifying Preview: Ghana - Sudan

Ghana, ranked as the favourites of group I kicked off their campaign with a 3-0 win over Swaziland under the tutelage of former coach Milovan Rajevac.

The four-time African champions are playing for the first time after the World Cup at their citadel with care-taker coach Kwasi Appiah at the helm of affairs. The Black Stars hardly fall in the hands of their opponents at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi and a win would boost the clarion call for a local coach to take over from the Serbian.

A win for both sides is an advantage as they both have three points apiece.

The last time the two sides met in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers Ghana upstaged the Nile Crocodiles with two unanswered goals. It would be catastrophic for the World Cup quarter-finalists to go into the game swollen headed.

The Ghanaians are without key players – Chelsea ace Michael Essien, AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, Inter’s Sulley Muntari and NAC Breda striker Mathew Amoah. But they can bank their hopes on in-form regulars like Andre Ayew, Asamoah Gyan, Anthony Annan and Kwadwo Asamoah to produce results.

Revenge Time

Sudan’s mentality for this game is to avenge a 2-0 defeat in Accra during a 2010 World Cup qualifier. The 1970 African champions have a strong side assembled from the top two clubs in the country – Al Hilal and Al-Merreikh - and that materialized in their 2-0 victory over Congo.

Although Ghana are tipped as the overwhelming favourites in the October 10 clash, Sudanese coach Mohammed Abdallah Magzoub is expected to employ all tactics suitable to leave west Africa with at least a point that would satisfy his new boss Mutasim Gaafar.

The Nile Crocodiles' last participation in the continental showpiece was in 2008, which was the first time in three decades.

Team News: Ghana

AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng has been ruled out of the game due to injury and two new faces have been called to boost the squad.

Squad: Richard Kingson, Isaac Amoako, Daniel Agyei, John Paintsil, Samuel Inkoom, Hans Adu-Sarpei, Lee Addy, Jonathan Mensah, Isaac Vorsah, John Mensah, Seth Owusu, Anthony Annan, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Kwadwo Asamoah, Andre Ayew, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Bernard Kumordzi, Sampson Cudjoe, Asamoah Gyan, Emmanuel Clottey, Prince Tagoe, Jordan Ayew

Player To Watch

Andre Ayew: The left-footer opened the floodgates for the west Africans in their opening campaign match against Swaziland. He has continued with his impressive form from the World Cup and could be a thorn in the flesh of the Nile Crocodiles.

Sudan

Muddathir Al-Tayeb Careca: The Al-Hilal star first found the net for his side in their game against Congo and came close to scoring again when he got to the end of a cross inside the box but somehow he spurned his chance with the Congo net at his mercy. The Ghanaian defenders need to close him up to avoid any embarrassment.

PREDICTION

The Sudanese are not going to be pushovers but the Black Stars are favourites judging from past records.

Ghana 2-1 Sudan