Sparks will fly as Mozambique and Ghana battle it out for a place in the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024). Which of these teams will be left standing when it's all said and done?
Mozambique vs Ghana overview
This Group B match will take place at the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium on Monday January 22. Kick-off time is 9 pm WAT.
Mozambique
Mozambique suffered a humiliating 3-0 loss to Cape Verde in their previous match. They've accumulated just one point from a possible six, and are currently at the bottom of the Group B table.
Chiquinho Conde's troops will need all three points from this match if they intend to make it through to the round of 16.
Ghana
Ghana, on the other hand, have had a disappointing AFCON campaign so far. They have no wins in two group games, with a draw and a loss.
Chris Hughton's men are tied on points with Mozambique, but ahead on goal difference. Like their opponents, any result besides a win would send the Black Stars packing.
Mozambique vs Ghana head to head
These teams first met in January 1996, at the Africa Cup of Nations. They've clashed on six occasions, and four of those encounters were either at the Nations Cup, or the qualifying rounds of this competition.
As it stands, Ghana have never lost to Mozambique. The Black Stars won four of six previous meetings between these outfits, with two draws. Furthermore, this will be the first encounter between these teams since March 2016.
Mozambique vs Ghana potential lineups
Mozambique are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Stanley Ratifio leading the attack. The Pforzheim player is yet to score in this tournament.
On the other hand, Chris Hughton will likely adopt a 4-2-3-1 formation for this match, with Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo being the lone forward. It's worth keeping an eye out for West Ham's Mohamed Kudus, who scored a brace in the Black Stars' last game.
Keeping that in mind, these are our probable Mozambique vs Ghana lineups:
Mozambique
Goalkeeper: Ernan.
Defenders: Reinildo Mandava, Edmilson Gabriel
Dove, Edson Mexer.
Midfielders: Domingos Macandza, Ricardo Guimaraes
Guima, Alfons Amade, Witi.
Forwards: Stanley Ratifio.
Ghana
Goalkeeper: Richard Ofori.
Defenders: Gideon Mensah, Mohammed Salisu,
Alexander Djiku, Denis Odoi.
Midfielders: Salis Abdul Samed, Iddrisu Baba,
Jordan Ayew, Mohamed Kudus, Ernest Nuamah.
Forwards: Antoine Semenyo.
Mozambique vs Ghana tactical analysis
The past few months have not been very pleasant for Mozambique. They are currently on a four-match winless run, with just one win in their last seven games.
Chiquinho Conde's side saw their defence breached five times in two group matches so far; they have conceded in seven consecutive matches across all competitions.
Likewise, Ghana have no wins in their last four matches, and have won one of their last seven games. The Black Stars have also struggled to keep the goals out, keeping just two clean sheets in their last nine matches.
Mozambique vs Ghana prediction
Although Ghana have dominated previous clashes between these teams, their recent form doesn't inspire a lot of confidence. These teams tend to concede goals, and we shouldn't expect that to stop anytime soon.
Both teams got on the scoresheet in six of Mozambique's last eight matches; and considering both teams scored in Ghana's two group game so far, we should expect goals at both ends.
Where to watch Mozambique vs Ghana live
There are a fair few TV options for fans who reside in Ghana. These include GTV Sports+, AfroSport TV, StarTimes and Supersport.
Similarly, Mozambicans can tune into Supersport and StarTimes for live coverage of this game.
