Ghana’s AFCON future in McKinstry’s hands?

Maybe it’s too early to conclude after only one game, but AFCON qualifiers have always been tough and one bad result can put teams in a lot of trouble. Enter Ghana, African powerhouse. The Black Stars have managed to secure a World Cup participation and made it through the Round of 32 where they lost 1-0 to Colombia. And now they will try to secure their AFCON ticket, something they haven’t been able to do since 2023. But the group is tough with Ivory Coast, The Gambia and Somalia also participating. The Ocean Stars will hardly be anything than a ‘punching bad’ for others but Ghana lost their first match against Ivory Coast, while the Scorpions won.##TWITTER_<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Head Coach of the 🇬🇭 Ghana Black Stars ⭐️ has answered questions on his current contract situation at the Black Stars ( number of years he will remain as a black star coach) , The Immediate Task to tackle as the Head Coach and How well He has Analyzed The Gambia 🇬🇲 Squad <a href="https://t.co/lMHuQQFH1Y">pic.twitter.com/lMHuQQFH1Y</a></p>&mdash; Salted GH🇬🇭SPORTS (@Derrick84822793) <a href="https://x.com/Derrick84822793/status/2104696828574802215?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>##Coach Johnathan McKinstry has been developing a 3-4-3 built around aggressive pressing, a higher defensive position, width and pace on the flanks — ingredients capable of disrupting Ghana’s build-up and exploiting space behind the full-backs. This game could be huge, even it’s only the second round. In case McKinstry’s Scorpions win, they will have a huge six points advantage over the Black Stars, which would be a tough situation for coach Carlos Queiroz as only two teams in this group will qualify for AFCON.##TWITTER_<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“Our missing players are more important than yours” — Gambia assistant coach tells Black Stars<br><br>The Gambia assistant coach Abdul Jammeh says his team’s five absent players are more important than Ghana’s missing players ahead of Tuesday’s 2027 AFCON qualifier. <a href="https://t.co/N9i4tWUeXi">pic.twitter.com/N9i4tWUeXi</a></p>&mdash; FEMY_MEDIA.TV🇬🇭 (@FemyMedia) <a href="https://x.com/FemyMedia/status/2104858758749077604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>##The Gambia will be without star winger Yankuba Minteh, who is ruled out through injury after sustaining a contact injury to his right leg in pre-season. The Brighton forward is a notable absentee for the Scorpions, though captain Omar Colley is expected to lead the squad in Accra. Apart from Yankuba Minteh, The Gambia will be without several other key players for the game, with Musa Barrow, Abdoulie Manneh and Adama Sidibeh all ruled out through injury. The Black Stars will also be without their key player Semenyo but also captain captain Alexander Djiku. Tuesday’s fixture will be the first-ever competitive meeting between the two nations; all previous encounters have been friendlies, with Ghana winning three of four, the other ending in a goalless draw.2027 AFCON QUALIFIERSAfrica Cup of Nations qualificationRound 2Tuesday14.00: (2.00) Comores (3.05) Namibia (3.90)16.00: (11.0) Burundi (5.20) Algeria (1.25)16.00: (5.40) Ethiopia (3.70) Senegal (1.60)16.00: (30.0) Lesotho (13.0) Morocco (1.03)16.00: (2.60) Madagascar (2.95) Tanzania (2.80)16.00: (1.85) Mozambique (3.00) Sudan (4.60)16.00: (16.0) South Sudan (6.75) Egypt (1.15)19.00: (1.47) Cape Verde (3.70) Rwanda (7.75)19.00: (1.60) Ghana (3.60) Gambia (5.60)19.00: (8.00) Guinea B. (3.90) Nigeria (1.43)19.00: (2.00) Uganda (3.05) Libya (3.90)19.00: (2.20) Zambia (3.05) Togo (3.35)20.00: (2.40) Benin (3.00) Mauritania (3.00)22.00: (6.25) Congo (3.60) Cameroon (1.55)22.00: (1.57) Gabon (3.50) Niger (6.25)22.00: (7.50) Liberia (3.90) Mali (1.45)22.00: (30.0) Somalia (13.0) Ivory Coast (1.03)***odds are subject to change***##SOFASCORE_<iframe id="sofa-standings-embed-59842-90940" src="https://widgets.sofascore.com/embed/tournament/59842/season/90940/standings?widgetTitle=Africa+Cup+of+Nations+Qualification+2027%2C+Group+C&showCompetitionLogo=true&widgetTheme=light" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="width:100%!important; height:431px!important;max-width:768px!important;"></iframe><div style="font-size:12px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;text-align:left"> Standings provided by <a target="_blank" href="https://sofascore.com/">Sofascore</a> </div>##