Ghana arrived in South Africa in the early hours of Wednesday morning, passed their Covid-19 tests, and trained at FNB Stadium in the evening minus three players from their original squad of 29.
The Black Stars, like Bafana Bafana, have been hit by withdrawals. This has been due to European clubs not releasing players over Covid-19 concerns, after Fifa circular detailing they did not have to.
Ghana, perhaps, have been hit harder. As for South Africa, Bongani Zungu and Dean Furman are their major overseas-based stars who will not meet the Black Stars. Zungu is expected to join the SA squad in Khartoum for the final Group C match on Sunday. Crucially, Brighton star Percy Tau has arrived.
Ghana coach Charles Akonnor already had to leave out big stars Jordan and Andrew Ayew, and Thomas Partey, from his 29-man squad named last week.
Of those 29, Ghana arrived in Johannesburg three short with 26 – with Celta Vigo (Spain) goalkeeper Joseph Addo, Vitoria Guimarares (Portugal) defender Gideon Mensah and Mallorca (Spain) midfielder Idrissu Baba the players who did not arrive.
Akonnor sounded quietly confident that Ghana, despite their withdrawals, and with a local-based portion of their squad who have trained together for more than a month in Accra, can beat Bafana.
“I mean it’s a different ball game altogether,” he said, asked how the match in Johannesburg compares to Ghana’s 2-0 win against South Africa in the Group C opener a year-and-a-half, and a global pandemic, ago in Cape Coast.
“That was our home, this time we are in an away match – it’s their home ground.
