Sparks will fly as Ghana and Cape Verde contend with each other for three valuable points in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Which of these sides will come out on top at the end of this match?
Ghana vs Cape Verde overview
This Group B clash will be played at the Félix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium on Sunday January 14. Kick-off time is 9 pm GMT+1.
Ghana
Only two teams have won more AFCON titles than Ghana. As a matter of fact, up until 1998, the Black Stars had won more titles than every other team in the continent.
However, Ghana's last title came in 1982 and the last time they played in a final was in 2015. Chris Hughton is looking to lead the Black Stars back to their glory days.
Cape Verde
Cape Verde's first appearance at the Nations Cup was in 2013 when they reached the quarter-finals. In four total outings at this tournament, they lost twice in the group stages, once in the round of 16 and once in the quarter-finals.
With tough opponents like Egypt and Ghana in Group B, coach Bubista will have his work cut out for him. It'll be interesting to see if Cape Verde can make it past the group stages for the third time in history.
Ghana vs Cape Verde head to head
Cape Verde emerged victorious when these teams first met in 2001. However, they've lost four consecutive clashes between these teams since then. The most recent encounter between Ghana and Cape Verde was in AFCON 2013, where the Black Stars won by two unreplied goals.
Ghana vs Cape Verde potential lineups
The Black Stars of Ghana will likely line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Iñaki Williams leading the attack. Hughton adopted this formation in seven of his team's last 10 games.
On the other hand, Bubista fancies the 4-3-3 formation, which he used in Cape Verde's last three matches.
These are our probable Ghana vs Cape Verde lineups:
Ghana
Goalkeeper: Richard Ofori.
Defenders: Denis Odoi, Mohammed Salisu, Alexander Djiku, Gideon Mensah.
Midfielders: Iddrisu Baba, Joseph Paintsil, André Ayew, Jordan Ayew, Mohamed Kudus.
Forwards: Iñaki Williams.
Cape Verde
Goalkeeper: Vozinha.
Defenders: Stopira, Roberto Lopes, Diney Borges, Willy Semedo.
Midfielders: Jamiro Monteiro, Logan Costa, Rocha Santos.
Forwards: Bebé, Garry Rodrigues, Ryan Mendes.
Ghana vs Cape Verde tactical analysis
The Black Stars have not particularly enjoyed their best form in recent months. They suffered three losses in their last five games, with a win and a draw.
Hughton's troops have also struggled in front of goal, as they managed just one goal in their last five games. Conversely, the Black Stars conceded just once in their last three games.
Like their opponents, Cape Verde have had their fair share of struggles lately. They have one win in their last six matches, with a draw and four losses. Also, while Bubista's men kept two clean sheets in their last three matches, they failed to score in two of those games.
Ghana vs Cape Verde prediction
These teams squared off against each other five times in the past, and four of those clashes went below the 2.5 goal mark.
With that in mind, Ghana and Cape Verde have been involved in a few low-scoring games lately. While Cape Verde's last three matches featured less than three goals, a total of two goals were scored in Ghana's last three matches.
On that note, our Ghana vs Cape Verde prediction is under 2.5 total goals.
Where to watch Ghana vs Cape Verde live
This match will be available on GTV Sports+, AfroSport TV and Supersport Football Plus for fans who reside in Ghana.
Meanwhile, fans from Cape Verde can tune into Canal+ CAN and Supersport for live coverage of this clash.
