At exactly 16.00 GMT on Monday January 19, Ghana’s Black Stars and the Teranga Lions of Senegal will kick off their 2015 AFCON campaign at the Estadio de Mongomo in Equatorial Guinea.
This Group C game will be the fourth meeting between the two sides at the AFCON and if history is anything to go by, this would be another tight, physical and bruising encounter like the last meeting in Port Said, Egypt in 2006 which ended 1-0 in Ghana’s favour. Monday’s game may follow a similar script if the build-up is anything to go by.
Form Guide
Comparatively, Senegal have had the better of preparations going into the AFCON. While Ghana were content playing club sides; beating ?Portuguese second-tier side Olhanense 3-0 and drawing 1-1 with Dutch side SC Cambuur during their Seville camp in Spain, Senegal played higher profile opponents in Gabon and Guinea whom they beat 1-0 and 5-2 respectively.
Team News
Ghana coach Avram Grant would be concerned that his captain and key man Asamoah Gyan may miss this crucial encounter due to a mild bout of malaria. Should he, the Black Stars may struggle to find goals as either replacement, Norway-based Mahatma Otoo or newcomer Kwesi Appiah of English fourth-tier Cambridge United are inexperienced at this level.
Senegal have their own headache in Southampton forward Sadio Mané who is out with a calf injury, but while Ghana might struggle for a competent replacement for their missing forward, the Teranga Lions have options in Papiss Cisse and?Moussa Sow.
Prediction
Caution seems to be the watchword ahead of the game.
Ghana, unlike in previous tournaments, are not a bookmakers’ favourite this time and even the team is preaching caution.
“We have lots of young players and I wouldn’t say we are here to win the trophy. We’ll go one game at a time,” Andre Ayew told media gathered in Mongomo.
Senegal coach Alain Giresse also admits the unpredictability of the group when he intimated to the media, via FIFA.com: “We have ambition and want to put in good performances, but only what happens on the field will decide how far we can go.”
Both teams know that winning and securing three points will give them a head start in a tight group that also contains arguably Africa’s best side, Algeria, and rising South Africa, who were imperious in the qualifiers.
But like Giresse put it, the field would decide indeed.