Ghana’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying double-header against Somalia will be played at the Essipong Sports Stadium in the Western Region following approval from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The Black Stars are scheduled to face Somalia in their third and fourth Group C matches, with both encounters set to take place in Ghana this month.

The matches were initially expected to be staged at the Accra Sports Stadium, but Essipong has now been confirmed as the venue for the two fixtures.

The decision follows earlier indications from Acting Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Professor Emmanuel Osei Sarpong, that the Western Region could host the games.

Ghana will play the first match on November 12 before the two sides meet again on November 16.

The four-time African champions head into the double-header under considerable pressure after suffering defeats in their opening two qualifying matches.

Ghana began their campaign with a 2-0 loss to Ivory Coast in Bouaké before suffering a disappointing 4-2 defeat to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Those results have left the Black Stars bottom of Group C without a point, making the two matches against Somalia crucial to their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 tournament.

The team will be targeting maximum points from both encounters to revive their campaign and restore confidence following their failure to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.

Essipong Stadium recently hosted its first competitive international fixture in seven years when the Black Queens defeated Mauritius 7-0 on October 13 in an Olympic Games qualifying match.

The Black Stars will now hope to make a winning return to the venue as they seek to get their AFCON qualifying campaign back on track.