The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has confirmed that the Essipong Stadium in Sekondi will host the Black Stars' crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Somalia.

GFA President Kurt Okraku announced the decision during a meeting between the Association's Executive Council and Parliament's Select Committee on Sports on Wednesday, November 4.

The Black Stars will welcome Somalia to the Western Region venue on Thursday, November 12, in the first of two back-to-back qualifying matches between the two nations.

The fixture represents a pivotal moment in Ghana's qualification campaign after successive defeats left the four-time African champions rooted to the bottom of Group C.

The Black Stars began their campaign with a 2-0 loss to Côte d'Ivoire in Bouaké before suffering a disappointing 4-2 home defeat to The Gambia, results that ultimately led to the departure of head coach Carlos Queiroz.

With an interim technical team now in charge, Ghana head into the Somalia double-header knowing that anything short of victory could severely dent their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 AFCON tournament.

Following the first encounter in Sekondi, the Black Stars will face Somalia again on Monday, November 16, with both matches carrying enormous significance as Ghana seeks to revive its campaign.

The choice of Essipong Stadium also marks another major international fixture for the venue, which has previously hosted several important domestic and continental matches.

With qualification hopes hanging in the balance, the Black Stars will be aiming to make home advantage count and claim their first points of the campaign before travelling for the return fixture against Somalia.