Ace sports journalist and analyst Nathan Quao believes Ghana have sufficient quality in their 26-man squad to secure maximum points in the double-header against Somalia in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, insisting that anything short of six points would fall below expectations.
Ghana will host Somalia on Thursday, November 12, before the two countries meet again on Monday, November 16. Both matches will take place at the Essipong Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00 GMT.
Quao, speaking in an exclusive interview with The Vaultz News, also backed the overall composition of the interim technical team’s player selection, arguing that the players called up should be capable of delivering the desired results in the two encounters.
“Getting six points from the two games is all we need. Ultimately, that’s what everybody wants. I think the measurement of success is six points.”
Nathan Quao, Sports Analyst
Beyond the results, the analyst believes Ghanaian supporters will expect an improved performance from the Black Stars, particularly after their disappointing start to the qualifying campaign. “I also think people want to see something strong, something dominant, in terms of the big scoreline and the group performance.”
The squad has been boosted by the return of several key players who missed the earlier qualifying games against Cotê d’Ivoire and The Gambia. Tottenham Hotspur’s Mohammed Kudus will play for Ghana for the first time in almost a year after injury ruled him out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
Captain and deputy captain Jordan Ayew and Thomas Partey, who were also absent from the September-October international window have joined the squad ahead of the encounter.
Ghana enter Thursday’s encounter under considerable pressure after losing their opening two Group C matches against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia, leaving the four-time African champions without a point and in need of an immediate response.
Interim head coach Kim Lars Björkegren, working alongside assistants Ibrahim Tanko and Godwin Attram, has assembled a squad featuring several experienced internationals and five players from the Ghana Premier League.
Quao believes the selection provides enough options for the technical team to achieve its immediate objective. “This [squad] should be enough to get six points out of the Somalia game,” he stated.
No Surprises After Late Squad Announcement
The analyst also expressed little surprise at the timing of the squad announcement, which came just days before Ghana’s first meeting with Somalia. The 26-man list was released at around 4pm on Monday, November 9, with the Black Stars taking on Somalia on Thursday, November 12.
According to Quao, the late release of Black Stars squads has become a familiar practice in recent years, making the latest announcement less concerning to him.
“I’m not too surprised. In the last few years you’d notice that the squad doesn’t come out sooner whenever the Black Stars are going to play. It’s about, let’s say what, three clear days, maybe four clear days to the game. But it doesn’t surprise me at all especially when you’ve done this work [journalism] for a while.”
Nathan Quao, Sports Analyst
He also had no major reservations about the interim technical arrangement, which brings together Björkegren, Tanko and Attram following the departure of Carlos Queiroz.
Quao suggested that the decision to combine the three coaches could provide an opportunity to assess their working relationship and effectiveness during the two fixtures.
“I don’t have too much of an issue with the composition [interim technical team],” he noted, although he identified the absence of Ghana’s U-23 head coach Desmond Ofei as his only slight reservation.
He acknowledged that Ofei might have been left out to avoid overburdening him with “additional responsibilities,” particularly as the Black Meteors also have a qualifying assignment for the 2027 CAF U-23 AFCON against Libya during the same international window.
Osei Asibey and Paintsil Among Notable Omissions For Nathan Quao
Despite backing the overall selection, Nathan Quao identified Hearts of Oak defender Kelvin Osei Asibey and LA Galaxy winger Joseph Paintsil as players he would have liked to see included.
Although some analysts see Osei Asibey’s club partner Ali Mohammed to be better, Quao favours Osei Asibey over the latter but he acknowledged the qualities of Ali.
“I would have gone for one of the two centre-backs from Hearts of Oak, either Kelvin Osei Asibey or Ali Mohammed. My preference is Kelvin Osei Asibey, but Ali Mohammed is not a bad player either.”
Nathan Quao, Sports Analyst
Osei Asibey has been a consistent presence in the Hearts defence and has helped the Phobians record seven clean sheets in their first 10 Ghana Premier League matches.
Paintsil, meanwhile, was another player Quao felt deserved another opportunity to demonstrate his qualities in the national team.
He also expressed mild surprise at the inclusion of Asante Kotoko defender Musa Hamzata, questioning his consistency but acknowledging the physical attributes that could have attracted the technical team’s attention.
“I didn’t expect Musa Hamzata to be in the team because he’s not been consistent. But he’s a very, very good defender. I think what works for him largely is his physical presence.”
Nathan Quao, Sports Analyst
For Quao, Osei Asibey should have had the nod over Asante Kotoko’s deputy captain Hamzata.
Five players from the Ghana Premier League broke into the 26-man selection with Hearts goalkeeper Benjamin Asare retaining his place in the team. There is also a return to the squad for FC Samartex left back Isaac Afful and three dubut call ups for Medeama SC duo Etse Dogli and Emmanuel Annor, with Musa Hamzata completing the five-member locally based players.
Nathan Quao believes these five players have earned their opportunities through their performances but insists they must demonstrate that they can compete with their foreign-based counterparts.
“These players have excelled and they deserve to there but they have to prove that they are good enough to play. They have to prove that they are good enough to start.”
Nathan Quao
Essipong Return Presents Opportunity for Ghana
The Black Stars have completed a training session in Accra and departed for Sekondi-Takoradi to continue preparations for the double-header.
The fixtures mark Ghana’s return to the Western Region venue after 18 years. Their last appearance there was in October 2008, when they defeated Lesotho 3-0 in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match.
With qualification hopes already under threat following their opening defeats to Cotê d’Ivoire and The Gambia, the Somalia double-header represents an important opportunity for Ghana to collect maximum points and revive their Group C campaign.
However, securing victories should not come at the expense of convincing performances, according to the sports analyst.
He believes supporters will want to see the Black Stars dominate both encounters, score goals and demonstrate a level of improvement that can restore confidence in the team.
While six points remain the ultimate measure of success, the manner in which Ghana achieve that objective could prove equally important in rebuilding the relationship between the national team and its supporters.
After missing the last AFCON in 2025, the Black Stars will hope that their qualifying journey has now beginning with maximum points against the Ocean Stars.
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