Sports News of Sunday, 23 October 2016
Source: supersport.com
2016-10-23
Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu
Black Stars midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang Badu is counting on the quality available in the team to help them scale the group phase at Afcon 2017.
Badu, who is a key member of Avram Grant’s team, admits the group handed to the four-time champions of the competition is a tough one but he remains upbeat about the Black Stars’ chances of making it to the next round.
Ghana have been drawn in Group D alongside familiar foes Egypt and Uganda as well as Mali. Uganda and Egypt are Ghana’s 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifying group opponents, with the Black Stars having already been held to a goalless draw at home by the Cranes and will be playing Egypt next month.
“The group is very interesting because we will be playing against the same countries we were paired with in the Fifa World Cup qualifiers and when Caf also brought their draw we have been grouped with Uganda and Egypt in the same group for the African Cup of Nations qualifiers,” Badu said.
Agyemang Badu told Asempa Sports: “We are not going to concentrate on the qualifiers because we have World Cup qualifiers against Egypt next month. It is going to be tough but we have the quality to excel in the group.”
The Black Stars will be based in Port Gentil and will open their account against Uganda, who are making a first appearance at the competition in 38 years, before taking on Mali and Egypt in the second and third respectively.
Ghana lost to Ivory Coast in the finals of the last edition held in Equatorial Guinea.