Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah knows that the match ahead is difficult and stated that "Cape Verde are a side similar to Mali, which was our toughest group game. They are disciplined and good defensively."
Cape Verde finished in second place in Group A with one win and two draws. In its opener, the team drew 0-0 with South Africa. In the ensuing match, they drew 1-1 against Morocco before defeating Angola 2-1 in their third match.
Cape Verde captain Nando stated that "I really believe that we could beat Ghana. They are a very, very strong team, but when the referee blows his whistle to start the match, we have a chance."
Ghana won group B with seven points. In its first match, Ghana jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Congo DR thanks to goals from Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu and Kwadwo Asamoah. However, Congo DR scored two goals in 15 minutes to draw the score level. In the ensuing match Ghana defeated Mali 1-1 of a penalty goal from Wakaso. The team finished off its group play with a resounding 3-0 victory over Niger. Gyan, Atsu, and Boye scored for Ghana.
