Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Iddie Adams says he remains confident that the Black Stars will qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), despite losing their opening two matches in the qualifiers.

Ghana sit at the bottom of Group C after a 2-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in Bouaké and a disappointing 4-2 loss to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The back-to-back defeats have also led to the departure of former Portuguese head coach Carlos Queiroz as tactician of the senior national team.

“I must admit that nobody would want to be in my situation when the Black Stars played against The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium,” Adams said while speaking on Asempa FM.

“It was difficult to watch the team lose. I could not believe what happened, but I am convinced the team will qualify for the AFCON tournament,” he added.

Ghana will face Somalia in a double-header at the Accra Sports Stadium in November, with the Black Stars needing victories to revive their qualifying campaign.

A temporary technical team is expected to be set-up for the upcoming games.

The 2027 AFCON tournament will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.