Côte d’Ivoire vs Ghana Prediction, Odds and Betting tips

Côte d’Ivoire vs Ghana Prediction, Odds and Betting Tips

Competition: 2027 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying · Group: C · Round: Matchday 1 · Date: 24 September 2026 · Kick-off: 19:00 GMT · Venue: Stade de la Paix, Bouaké

Team News, Call-Ups and Availability

Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana open Group C in Bouaké, and both arrive in a new phase. Hervé Renard selected a 25-man Ivorian squad, while Carlos Queiroz named a 24-player Ghana group. Two experienced national teams therefore meet with more selection uncertainty than their reputations suggest. Côte d’Ivoire’s call-up lists Yahia Fofana, Alban Lafont and Mohamed Koné in goal; Guéla Doué, Kassoum Ouattara, Evan Ndicka, Ousmane Diomandé, Emmanuel Agbadou, Odilon Kossounou, Christ Tapé and Ghislain Konan in defence; Ibrahim Sangaré, Franck Kessié, Chris Inao, Patrick Zabi, Malick Yalcouyé, Amadou Koné and Eddy Doué in midfield; and Yan Diomandé, Nicolas Pépé, Bazoumana Touré, Yoan Bony, Elye Wahi, Yann Gboho and Rayan Fofana in attack. Amad Diallo and Wilfried Singo are absent through injury. Ghana initially recalled Mohammed Kudus, but he withdrew from the camp while managing his return from injury, and Derby County forward Mohammed Fuseini was called up as a replacement. Brandon Thomas-Asante also received a late call-up. Mohammed Kudus is absent from Ghana’s camp while he manages his return from injury. No injury or suspension was reported for Côte d’Ivoire in the sources consulted, and no complete suspension list was available for either side.

Projected Lineups

Projected lineup — not confirmed: Côte d’Ivoire — Yahia Fofana; Guéla Doué, Ousmane Diomandé, Evan Ndicka, Ghislain Konan; Ibrahim Sangaré, Franck Kessié, Malick Yalcouyé; Nicolas Pépé, Elye Wahi, Bazoumana Touré. No credible eleven could be projected for Ghana after the Kudus withdrawal and the late call-ups, so none is given; the official match sheet will settle the attacking configuration. Official team sheets take precedence once they are released.

Head-to-Head and Match Analysis

WorldFootball lists 36 meetings: 12 Côte d’Ivoire wins, 13 Ghana wins and 11 draws, with Ghana ahead 50-44 on goals. The latest listed senior meeting finished 0-0 in 2021, and the teams also played the 2015 AFCON final, a goalless match decided on penalties in Côte d’Ivoire’s favour. Group C has produced no 2027 qualifying sample yet, so importing home/away or scoring averages from another competition would distort the comparison. The useful evidence is squad composition, venue, availability and history. Côte d’Ivoire have the home setting and a strong central core; Ghana’s record in this fixture makes them hard to dismiss even without Kudus. Renard has enough experience through the middle of the pitch to avoid asking the newcomers to carry the game, and Kessié and Sangaré give the hosts a natural base for control. Ghana’s adjustment without Kudus changes where Queiroz can find progression and creativity, which makes the first hour especially informative: a side missing its most creative attacker may struggle to stretch a well-organised home block, but this fixture has often been decided by very small margins. The main risk for the hosts is that Ghana’s experience in exactly this fixture keeps the match level and cagey.

Statistical coverage is partial. Group C has no 2027 qualifying sample before this match, so HOME/AWAY splits, xG, shots, possession and corners for the current competition are not available and are not estimated; head-to-head figures are historical context from other competitions and years, not current-edition averages.

Market Price and Value

Conclusion

The match sets a home side rebuilding around Kessié and Sangaré against a Ghana team that has lost its most creative forward days before kick-off. Renard’s squad selection and Queiroz’s late call-ups mean the tactical picture is more fluid than the history suggests, and the early exchanges in Bouaké should show which coach has settled his shape faster.

Sources

- CAF — AFCON PAMOJA 2027 MD1 & MD2 fixtures, kick-off times and venues: https://www.cafonline.com/afcon2025/news/totalenergies-caf-afcon-pamoja-2027-md-1-2-qualifiers-fixtures-kick-off-times-and-venues/ - AIP — Elephants called up for Ghana, Somalia and Cameroon: https://www.aip.ci/cote-divoire-aip-fenetre-fifa-et-can-2027-les-elephants-convoques-pour-les-matches-contre-le-ghana-la-somalie-et-le-cameroun/ - CAF — Queiroz recalls several players to Ghana squad: https://www.cafonline.com/afcon2025/news/queiroz-recalls-several-players-to-ghana-squad-for-cote-divoire-and-gambia-afcon-qualifiers/ - MyJoyOnline — Fuseini late call-up after Kudus withdrawal: https://www.myjoyonline.com/black-stars-mohammed-fuseini-receives-late-call-up-for-september-october-games-after-head-injury/ - WorldFootball.net — Côte d’Ivoire v Ghana: https://www.worldfootball.net/match-report/co1087/caf-africa-cup-qual/ma12093254/ivory-coast_ghana/