Our prediction for this World Cup 2026 match:
Ghana take on Ethiopia at Cape Coast Sports Stadium at the start of the Africa World Cup qualifiers. The Black Stars aim to make a flying start to their qualifying campaign, and the bookies see them as hot favourites to win Friday’s match. Due to Premier League travel ban, the likes of Jordan Ayew, Daniel Amartey, and Tariqe Fosu miss the Ethiopia game, but Ghana boss Charles Akonnor still has a number of high-profile players to choose from.
In Jordan Ayew’s absence, his brother Andre Ayew will lead the line for the hosts. Ethiopia, on the other hand, did well to beat Uganda 2-1 in their last warm-up match, but they will have a much bigger fish to fry against Ghana. In each of the previous four meetings between the two teams the Black Stars emerged triumphant, which is yet another reason why home win should be considered.
Highlighted Player (Thomas Partey):
After starting his youth career at Odometah, Thomas Partey was spotted by Atletico Madrid scouts in 2011 and he soon joined the Estadio Vicente Calderon outfit. The defensive midfielder, who born in Odumase Krobo, Ghana on 13 June, 1993, played 33 league games for Atletico Madrid B, while making 14 league appearances for the first team.
After ending his loan spells with Mallorca and Almeria, Thomas Partey returned to Atletico Madrid in 2015 and he made his debut for Diego Simeone’s team in a 1-0 win over Espanyol. The Ghanaian footballer played in the 2015/2016 Champions League final against Real Madrid, coming as a substitute in the 116th minute of the game.
Thomas Partey made his Ghana debut in a 2-0 win over Mauritius in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match. His main position is defensive midfield, but the Atletico Madrid man is capable of playing as a central midfielder as well. Partey scored two goals for los Rojiblancos in the 2015/2016 La Liga campaign.