Black Stars captain, Andre Dede Ayew has admitted that Portugal are theoretically the favourite in their 2022 World Cup opening game against Ghana on Thursday, November 24, 2022.

According to Ayew, Portugal are the better side in terms of quality, and he added that the Black Stars will be playing against a tough opponent.

Despite his admission about Portugal, the most capped Ghanaian player stated that they will go all-out to surprise the 2016 European champions on Thursday.

“We all know that if we’re going to get into this game Portugal are the ones who are favourites on paper.

“But after, we have to show on the field that what is on paper is not what will happen on the pitch, so we are ready. We are ready, and we know we are playing a big side that were European champions some years back and have top players," he said in a post-match interview.

Dede Ayew continued that Black Stars are ready to complicate things for the Portuguese.

“But we believe in ourselves and we know what is ahead of us and we going to do everything to make it very difficult for them,” he reiterated.

Ghana will come off against Portugal on Thursday, November 24, 2022, at Stadium 974 (Rass Abou Aboud).

The two will meet for the second time at the World Cup. In their first meeting in 2014, Portugal won 2-1.


MK/BOG