Northern Ireland coach Johnathan McKinstry says Gambia national football team are relishing the prospect of taking on continental heavyweights Ghana national football team and Ivory Coast national football team after the draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The draw, held in Cairo on Tuesday, placed Gambia in a challenging Group C alongside former African champions Ghana and Ivory Coast, as well as Somalia national football team.
The qualification campaign for the 2027 tournament is due to begin later this year, with only the top two sides from each group progressing to the finals.
Despite the difficulty of the assignment, McKinstry insisted his players are eager for the challenge and believe they can compete with some of the continent’s strongest nations.
“We are very excited by the draw. Group C is a fantastic group and, of course, we know the level of challenge ahead of us,” McKinstry said.
“Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana are two of Africa’s elite teams, while Somalia will also be highly motivated and competitive throughout the qualifying series.” The coach said Gambia’s recent performances against leading African sides had given the squad confidence ahead of the campaign.
The Scorpions pushed Ivory Coast closely during a previous qualifying meeting in Abidjan and McKinstry believes that display demonstrated his side’s ability to trouble elite opposition.
“But as we have shown before, when The Gambia goes up against the top teams on the continent, our players rise to the occasion,” he added.
“We played Cote d’Ivoire in Abidjan only 12 months ago and were extremely unfortunate not to come away with a result, with their goalkeeper named Man of the Match. That performance showed the level we can reach when we are focused, organised, and brave.”
Gambia will be seeking another appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations after producing encouraging performances in recent editions and qualifying campaigns.
The West African side has increasingly established itself as a competitive force on the continent under McKinstry’s guidance. For Ghana, the qualifiers represent an opportunity to recover from recent disappointment after the Black Stars failed to secure a place at the 2025 tournament in Morocco.
The four-time African champions are expected to face significant pressure to return to the finals. Ivory Coast, meanwhile, enter the campaign as one of Africa’s strongest teams and are widely expected to be among the favourites to progress from the group.
Somalia complete the section and, although viewed as outsiders, McKinstry warned they would provide determined opposition throughout the campaign.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations finals will be staged across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, marking a historic co-hosting arrangement for the East African nations.
Qualifying matches are scheduled to begin in September 2026 as teams across the continent compete for places at Africa’s premier international football tournament.
