West Africa rivals Ghana, Senegal clash in tricky Afcon tie

The Black Stars of Ghana and arch-rivals Senegal are set to clash on Monday in the first Group C game at the on-going 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

Action will take center stage at the Mongomo Stadium which will also host the second match of the day between in-form Algeria and 1996 Champions Bafana Bafana of South Africa.

Former coach of English Premier League side Chelsea, Avrant Grant, will face his first true test since he took over the Ghana team, but the Israeli tactician has maintained that he will take every game as it comes.

"It will be very important to start well although we are aware we are playing a tough side. I know some of the Senegal players who play in Europe and I am sure it will be a tight contest," said Grant.

Ghana who have won the Afcon trophy four times will hope that their inspirational skipper and leading striker Asamoah Gyan shakes off the injury he picked up during training last week to start the game.

The Ayew brothers Jordan Pierre and Andre together with Mubarak Wakasu who plays for Celtic in Scotland are expected to be the backbone of the Black Stars team. For the Senegal team that have never won the Afcon trophy, they will look to the English Premier League based players Cheikhou Kouyate, Mame Biram Biram Diof, Papiss Demba Cisse and Sadio Mane.

Algeria who were the only African team to reach the knock out stage of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will not be an easy team for South Africa to tame. But the Bafana Bafana team will also bring lots of motivation having been among just one of the teams that made it through the Afcon qualifiers unbeaten.

Islam Slimani and Yacine Nasr Eddine Brahimi who played a key role at the 2014 World Cup are expected to play pivotal roles for Algeria, while the presence of Bernard Melvin Parker for Bafana Bafana should also help the team. Endi