Ghana’s Black Stars have arrived in Bouake ahead of their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday.

The team travelled from Accra on Wednesday morning and arrived in the Ivorian city later in the day as preparations for the Group C opener entered the final stage.

Head coach Carlos Queiroz is expected to lead the team through their final training session at the Stade de la Paix, the venue for Thursday’s game.

The session will allow the players to familiarise themselves with the pitch, while Queiroz will have the opportunity to make his final tactical adjustments.

The Black Stars opened camp in Accra on Monday and held their initial training sessions at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Eighteen players trained on Tuesday as the squad continued to take shape following several withdrawals and late additions.

Ghana have been hit by a number of absences ahead of the qualifier, with Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo and Nathaniel Adjei among those unavailable.

Queiroz has responded by bringing in several replacements, including Osasuna defender Rockson Yeboah, who has received his first senior call-up after making three La Liga appearances this season.

Thursday’s fixture will be Ghana’s first Group C match as the Black Stars begin their bid to return to the Africa Cup of Nations after missing the 2025 tournament in Morocco.

The Black Stars will be hoping to leave Bouake with a positive result before returning home to face The Gambia on September 27.

Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, The Gambia and Somalia make up Group C, with the Black Stars looking to make a strong start under Queiroz.

The Portuguese coach will be hoping his side can negotiate a difficult away fixture and return to Accra with a result to build momentum for the rest of the qualifying campaign.