Kwesi Appiah, former head coach of Ghana, is now looking to lead Sudan to victory against his home country in a critical 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier on Thursday. The match is crucial for both sides, but particularly for Ghana, who are under pressure after a poor start in their Group F campaign.The struggling Black Stars are in dire need of a win in Accra against a Sudanese side ranked 50 places lower globally. Ghana has had a rough start, suffering a home defeat to Angola and then losing a lead in a draw away to Niger, leaving them third in a group where only the top two advance to the finals in Morocco.Aliou Cissé steps down as Senegal coach after nine yearsWith Angola and Sudan occupying the top spots in Group F with six and three points, respectively, Ghana faces an uphill battle in this six-round competition. Appiah, 64, who has had two previous stints as Ghana’s coach, has found success with Sudan despite the challenges of playing away from home due to a civil war.Under Appiah’s guidance, Sudan currently leads their 2026 World Cup qualifying group, which includes Senegal. A key asset for the Sudanese team is Mohamed Abdelrahman, a reliable scorer in their lineup.Sudan Head Coach Kwasi Appiah & @OseiFosu_IK back home. 🏟️🇬🇭Sudan are currently holding their final training session at the Accra Sports Stadium prior AFCON 2025 Qualifiers vs Ghana pic.twitter.com/MYWLZodIhb— Samuello (@bigmuello) October 9, 2024 Meanwhile, Ghana’s coach Otto Addo faces selection challenges, having lost four key players to injury, including Arsenal’s Thomas Partey, who is the most significant absentee.Here is a preview of five other key matches among the 24 scheduled over three days starting Thursday – matchday 4 will then follow from Sunday through Tuesday.Nigeria vs LibyaWith 2023 African Footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen out due to injury, interim Nigeria coach Augustine Eguavoen has a wealth of attacking options, including Ademola Lookman, the only African nominee for this year’s Ballon d’Or. Lookman is expected to start for the Group D leaders in Uyo. Libya, languishing at the bottom of the group, recently dismissed Serbian coach Milutin Sredojevic. His local successor, Nasser al Hadhiri, has acknowledged that a draw in Nigeria would be a good outcome for his side.##NAJAVA_MECA_8400975##South Africa vs CongoSouth Africa will miss the presence of Thalente Mbatha, their “super sub,” who is injured, and winger Percy Tau, who is unavailable. Midfielder Jayden Adams has also been left out for disciplinary reasons. Despite securing a Group K draw against Uganda and a win over South Sudan last month, South Africa’s performances were unconvincing. Congo, reeling from a 6-0 World Cup qualifying loss to Morocco, may struggle to secure any points in Gqeberha.##NAJAVA_MECA_8400976##Cameroon vs KenyaCameroon, the AFCON’s second-most successful team with five titles, will rely on Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo to find the back of the net as they host Kenya in a top-of-the-table clash in Group J. Mbeumo has been in fine form in the Premier League, scoring six goals this season — second only to Manchester City’s Erling Haaland. Cameroon’s goalkeeper, Andre Onana of Manchester United, has acknowledged that Kenya poses a serious threat in a group that also includes Namibia and Zimbabwe.##NAJAVA_MECA_8400970##Egypt vs MauritaniaMauritania faces a tough challenge as they travel to face Group C leaders Egypt, who boast both Liverpool’s prolific scorer Mohamed Salah and Bundesliga star Omar Marmoush. Marmoush currently leads the scoring charts in the German league with eight goals for Eintracht Frankfurt — three more than Harry Kane has for Bayern Munich. Salah, Egypt’s captain, recently became the top African scorer in UEFA Champions League history, surpassing Didier Drogba with his 45th goal in a match against Bologna.##NAJAVA_MECA_8400979##Senegal vs MalawiSenegal, the reigning AFCON champions, will be under the guidance of Pape Thiaw after the departure of long-time coach Aliou Cissé. Cissé’s contract was not renewed after failing to meet targets such as a 2022 World Cup quarter-final berth and back-to-back AFCON titles. Thiaw, 43, who previously served as Cissé’s assistant, is hoping for a winning start against Malawi. The visitors have struggled defensively, conceding six goals in defeats to Burundi and Burkina Faso in Group L qualifiers.##NAJAVA_MECA_8400982##
