Ghana vs Morocco: Why GFA Cancelled International Friendly After Gambia Defeat
- The reason behind the Ghana Football Association's cancellation of a planned international friendly against Morocco has surfaced
- The decision followed Ghana's 4-2 defeat to The Gambia, their second consecutive loss in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers
- Morocco will now face a different opponent instead of Carlos Queiroz's side, who have won one of their last 12 matches
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The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has withdrawn from the planned international friendly against Morocco due to a shortage of available players.
Source: Twitter
Why GFA cancelled Ghana vs Morocco match
The match was scheduled for Sunday, October 4, at the Grand Stade de Tanger, but Ghana has pulled out after several players suffered injuries.
African football expert Micky Jnr reported that the GFA cited the injury crisis as the main reason for cancelling the fixture.
The GFA has officially informed the Moroccan federation that the Black Stars will not travel to Tangier for the friendly.
The Ghanaian football governing body has also apologised to Morocco for the late cancellation and the disruption caused.
Meanwhile, Ghanasoccernet reports that Mali have now stepped in after the Malian Football Federation confirmed that their previously scheduled friendly against Tunisia had also been called off.
The Eagles of Mali will therefore travel to Morocco for the new encounter, with the match set to be played at the Grand Stadium of Tangier at 6:00pm GMT.
Black Stars' difficult start to AFCON 2027 qualifying
The withdrawal comes at a turbulent moment for Carlos Queiroz's side.
Ghana suffered a 4-2 loss to The Gambia in their second Group C fixture of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, a result made all the more damaging by the fact that the Black Stars had led 2-0 at half-time before collapsing in the second half.
That defeat compounded an already difficult opening to their qualifying campaign.
Ghana had previously lost 2-0 to Côte d'Ivoire in their opening group game, leaving the team without a single point from their first two matches.
With the Morocco friendly now off the table, the Black Stars' attention turns entirely to repairing a campaign that has faltered badly in its opening stages.
Ghana's next competitive fixtures - against Somalia - are scheduled for November, giving Queiroz a short window to restore confidence and address the squad's fitness concerns before their qualifying hopes are tested further.
How Ghana can still qualify for AFCON 2027
In a previous publication, YEN.com.gh looked at how the Black Stars can still qualify for the 2027 AFCON despite suffering back-to-back defeats.
Ghana have four matches left and can collect a maximum of 12 points, keeping their qualification hopes alive if they improve their results.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
