Angola’s coach, Pedro Goncalves, has commended the Ghana squad for its impressive quality ahead of their match on Thursday.

The Black Stars will face the Palancras Negras at the Baba Yara Stadium for their Group F opener in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. This encounter marks the third meeting between the teams since 2023, following their previous encounters during the last AFCON qualifiers.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Goncalves highlighted the exceptional talent within the Ghanaian team.

“Black Stars have players from top level in the world, but the big names are in the midfield and forward,” said the Portuguese gaffer.

He specifically praised Mohammed Kudus as one of Africa’s top talents, alongside other notable players like Jordan Ayew, Thomas Partey, and Inaki Williams.

“Mohammed Kudus is one of the best players at the moment for Africa. [There are also] Jordan Ayew, Thomas Partey the legend, [and] Inaki Williams.

“I mentioned four players but I can say more. It’s a balanced team at the high level but for sure the big names are in the attack,” he added.

The match between Ghana and Angola is set to kick off at 16:00 GMT, with Ghana aiming to move ahead of Sudan in the standings.