The goal will simply be one, as the Black Stars kick off their World Cup qualification fixtures today.

After impressing hugely in the first two outings at the World Cup, including a quarter-final finish in the South Africa edition, the Black Stars were abysmal at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and disappointingly failed to qualify for the showpiece in Russia in 2018.

The Stars will certainly want to avoid a repetition of the 2018 failure and thus will be hoping to book their place in Qatar next year.

The first target however is to ensure that they get off to a winning start as they play Ethiopia in Cape Coast this evening.

Despite the absence of key players Thomas Partey and Kudus Mohammed from the squad, CK Akonnor has assembled a quality side which includes the returning Jonathan Mensah, and Premier league trio Daniel Amartey, Jeffery Schlupp and Jordan Ayew.

The players have been urged by the President of the Ghana Football Association and the Youth and Sports Minister to secure victory tonight, with the latter urging them to lift high the flag of the country.

“We know, we cherish each and every one of you, to have the opportunity of wearing the colours of the Black Stars is a pride and we know that the calibre of people sitting I this room – going to represent us both in the World Cup qualifiers and the AFCON, we have no doubt at all that we going to perform and deliver and lift the flag of Ghana very high.

“Anytime the Black Stars qualifies and participates in the World Cup the whole continent looks up to Ghana. You can talk of what happened in Germany and South Africa so we have rich history when it comes to the World Cup.

“What you have done in the past have left a big hole for you come and fill and I have no doubt you are going to deliver”.

But if the Black Stars are to be victorious, then they would have to be aware of the threat that tonight’s opponent poses especially in attack.

The Ethiopian threat 

Unlike Ghana, Ethiopia reached the group stages of the qualifying stages via a play off victory over Lesotho in 2019.

The Walia Ibex of Ethiopia secured a goalless draw at home in the first leg and saw their qualification chances grow dim but were able to go through as a result of 1-1 draw they secured in the return encounter in Lesotho.

The Ethiopians since then have been in good form, impressively  winning 4 of their last six matches, and securing a place  at the 2021 AFCON tournament in the process.

The team is notably strengthened by their attacking trio of Abubeker Nassir who netted 29 goals in 23 appearances in the domestic top flight last season, and Mujib Kassim and Getaneh Kebede who also netted 20 and 15 goals respectively.

Abubeker in particular is regarded as the deadliest among the three for obvious reasons.

His 29 goals in the Ethiopian league last season broke a couple of records including that of former Bidvest Wits striker Getaneh Kebede – who netted 25 goals in 30 games back in 2017.

His impressive campaign attracted interest from the likes  SuperSport United, Cape Town City and Baroka FC in the South African Premier League.