Our good friends at Opta have complied all the numbers and stats you need to assess the teams’ chances ahead of today’s Afcon Group D clash at Stade de Port-Gentil.
-This is Ghana’s 21st Afcon participation, a tally only bettered by Egypt (23) and Ivory Coast (22).
-Only Egypt (7) have won the Afcon more times than Ghana (4). However, their last title dates back to 1982; they have lost their last three finals (1992, 2010, 2015).
-Ghana are the only team to have reached the semi-finals in each of the last five AFCON tournaments.
-Ghana and Uganda’s only previous Afcon encounter was in the 1978 final. The Black Stars won 2-0.
-Ghana have won seven of their last 10 AFCON group games (D2 L1). They have also scored in each of their last 16 group games.
-However, Ghana have only been victorious in two of their last eight opening games at the Afcon (2008, 2012).
-Meanwhile, this is Uganda’s sixth Afcon participation. Their last game in the tournament was in March 1978 in the final against…Ghana (0-2).
-Uganda have lost 12 of their 16 Afcon games (W3 D1), although three of those wins have come in the last five games.
-Uganda have also only kept one clean sheet in 16 games at the Afcon, it was against Morocco in March 1978 (3-0).
-André Ayew scored three goals and delivered two assists in six games at the 2015 Afcon, the joint-highest goal involvement alongside Wilfried Bony.
-This is Avram Grant‘s second Afcon as manager after leading Ghana to the final in 2015 (lost on penalties against Ivory Coast).
-Meanwhile, this is the first Afcon for Uganda manager Milutin Sredojevic.