Gambia head coach Johnathan McKinstry says his side is excited by the challenge of facing Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire in the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations following Tuesday’s draw in Cairo, Egypt.
The Scorpions were drawn in Group C alongside four-time African champions Ghana, defending champions Côte d’Ivoire and Somalia for the qualification campaign set to begin in September 2026.
Reacting to the draw, the Northern Irish trainer admitted the group presents a difficult task but believes Gambia can compete strongly against the continent’s top sides.
“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.”
Despite the quality within the group, McKinstry remains confident his players can rise to the occasion just as they have done in previous campaigns.
“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.
The former Uganda and Sierra Leone gaffer also reflected on his side’s narrow defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in Abidjan during a previous encounter, insisting that performance proved his team can compete with Africa’s best.
“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.”
The Scorpions have featured in two AFCON tournaments — 2021 and 2023 — but failed to qualify for the 2025 edition and will now be aiming for a return to the continental showpiece in 2027.
Only the top two teams from each group will qualify for the tournament, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
