Black Stars head coach Chris Hughton says the team's priority at the moment is the two opening games of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Ghana will play Madagascar and Comoros in their first games of the qualifiers for the competition later this month before turning their attention to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Ghanaians are hungry for continental success after their last triumph came in 1982 and find the team alongside Egypt, Cape Verde and Mozambique in Group B for next year's tournament.

However, the gaffer has asked that the main focus become the qualification campaign for the next World Cup which begins next week.

"It's great to want to talk about Afcon, but sometimes for coaches, it's difficult because we have two very important games before then," he said in an interview with BBC.

"I think if your concentrations are too far past that then you can take your eye off what is in this moment the most important thing - our World Cup qualification games.

"What we would want is to do well in these games, to win these games and to be able to go into Afcon with good momentum. But this [World Cup qualifiers] must come first."

The Black Stars will host Madagascar at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Friday, November 17 to begin their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign.