AFCON 2027 Qualifiers: Somalia have no reason to fear Ghana - Jarma Mohamed

Somalia midfielder Jarma Mohamed believes the Ocean Stars have what it takes to upset Ghana and boost their chances of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.Somalia face the Black Stars in a double-header, with the first encounter scheduled for Thursday at the Essipong Sports Stadium in Takoradi.Ghana will approach the fixture under pressure after losing their opening two Group C matches against Cte dIvoire and The Gambia. Somalia sit above Ghana in third also without a point.The Black Stars suffered a 2-0 defeat in Bouak before losing 4-2 at home to The Gambia, leaving them bottom of the group without a point.However, Mohamed insists Somalia must approach the contest with confidence rather than being intimidated by their opponents' reputation."You know the players' levels, the qualities that they have that you have to respect, but you also have to back yourself," he told the BBC."You're sharing the same pitch for a reason, it's not by accident."He added that focusing too much on the opposition's reputation could undermine their chances before the game even begins."If you play the name or an occasion you're losing before you've even kicked a ball," Mohamed added.Somalia have already faced Cte dIvoire and The Gambia in the qualifiers and will be hoping to translate their competitive performances into positive results against Ghana.Mohamed also stressed that qualification remains the team's primary objective, insisting they are not travelling to participate merely for the experience."The aim is to qualify," he said."If you come to do nothing less than that you may as well stay home."Ghana, meanwhile, have arrived in Takoradi with 24 players for the encounter.The team completed their final training session in Accra on Tuesday before travelling to the Western Region.Interim coach Kim Lars Bjrkegren and his technical team will oversee Ghana's final training session at the Essipong Stadium later today.The Black Stars will need victories in both encounters to revive their qualification hopes, with the return fixture scheduled for Monday, November 16, at the same venue.