Stakes high for Ghana as Cape Verde come challenging

Cape Verde are expected to be a vastly different but tougher side than the one that lost 1-0 to Ghana in a friendly in November, says Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah.

Both teams meet again on Saturday in the quarter-final of the Africa Cup of Nations at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

The Blue Sharks, unfancied before the start of the competition have strolled to the last eight and stand between four-time champions, Ghana and a semi-final place.

For Appiah, he would have preferred a game against favourites, Ivory Coast at the his stage to the Blue Sharks.

“Cape Verde are coming to the game a very strong team but with no pressure on them at all,” Appiah said on Friday.

“They are not expected to win, and so they have nothing to lose and that is a fear for me. Of course Ivory Coast is a dangerous opponent, but you know how to plan for a familiar opponent under pressure like yourself.”

Appiah has put behind him the win over the Blue Sharks in a friendly last year and is not taking victory for granted.

“The two games have absolutely different,” Appiah said.

“If I am to look back at the friendly game we played with Cape Verde, we have so many differences. They are a team that no one can underrate.

“They’ve got a strong team. The approach and even the tactics they are playing now is not the same like what we saw in the friendly game. They are not a team I can say we will walk over them.”