Kwasi Appiah aims to lead Sudan to victory against Ghana in AFCON 2025 qualifiers

Ex-Ghana coach James Kwasi Appiah has said he will be targeting victory when Sudan face Ghana in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

Appiah will be facing his country of origin after Sudan were paired against the Black Stars during Thursday’s draw in Johannesburg.

Both teams find themselves in Group F of the AFCON qualifiers, which also contains Angola and Niger.

Appiah said facing Ghana won’t affect how he prepares his team and said he’ll be targeting victory against the Black Stars.

Kwasi Appiah hopes to see both Sudan and Ghana qualify for the AFCON

The 63-year-old was, however, quick to add that he would be glad to see both Ghana and Sudan qualify out of the group.

“I’ve always said there is [are] no minnows in football now. It is really important that any team you meet, you prepare very well and make sure you have the right team to try and win the day,” he told 3Sports.

“Personally, I also think and hope Ghana and Sudan qualify in that group. For now, I think that is what I can say and I wish both teams the best.”

Appiah still holds strong ties to Ghana, having played for the Black Stars in the 1980s before having two stints as the country’s head coach following his retirement.

He is also currently a member of the Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) after being elected last year.

Meanwhile, Appiah has chalked some impressive results since being hired as the head coach of the Sudan national team in September 2023.

The Secretarybirds have lost just once in eight matches since he took charge, while they also currently sit at the top of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying group, ahead of Senegal.

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