The Somali delegation accuses Ghana of intimidation after their training at the University of Ghana stadium was interrupted, according to GhanaWeb and Foot Afrique. Ahead of the double-header, Ghana welcome back captain Jordan Ayew and Mohammed Kudus, both returning from injury.
The double-header between Ghana and Somalia, scheduled for 12 and 16 November 2026, is being played out in a tense atmosphere. According to GhanaWeb and Foot Afrique, security guards interrupted a training session by the Somali national team at the University of Ghana stadium and ordered them off the pitch. The incident led the Somali delegation to denounce an act of intimidation ahead of the two matches.
Stadium officials give a different account: the Somalis were only authorised to use a training pitch, not the main pitch, Foot Afrique reports. Forced to return to training outside the stadium, head coach Kim Lars Björkegren’s players are preparing for the first leg on Thursday 12 November at Essipong Stadium (Sekondi), before the return match on 16 November, also on Ghanaian soil.
Two conflicting accounts
The incident occurred during a Somalia training session at the University of Ghana stadium. Security guards intervened and ordered the players off the pitch, according to GhanaWeb and Foot Afrique. The Somali delegation had to withdraw and train outside the stadium, denouncing an act of intimidation on the eve of the double-header.
For their part, stadium officials say the Somalis were only authorised to use a training pitch, not the main pitch, according to Foot Afrique. This account contradicts that of the Somali delegation, which denounces an act of intimidation.
Ghana welcome back their key men
On the pitch, Ghana go into the tie with a strengthened squad. Captain Jordan Ayew and Mohammed Kudus are back after injury, according to Kickoff Ghana. A boost for a team that has lost its first two matches and is looking for its first win, as is Somalia.
Antoine Semenyo, however, remains unavailable, according to the Ghanaian Times. Somalia, also chasing a first success after two defeats, have given up home advantage for this double-header because they lack a stadium meeting international standards, Kickoff Ghana indicates. Both matches will therefore be played on Ghanaian soil.
A quote from the FKF
An FKF official told Citizen Digital: “We are ready for this. If it means saving this country’s football money through a normalisation committee, the seven of us are ready.” The statement is not presented as linked to the incident at the University of Ghana stadium.