Black Stars Fly to Ivory Coast on Military Plane for Qualifier

The Ghanaian national football team, the Black Stars, arrived in Bouake, Ivory Coast, on September 24, 2026, using a Ghana Air Force military transport aircraft, specifically an Airbus Casa C-295 with the call sign GHF550. This aircraft transported 18 players and other crew members directly to Bouake for their opening match in the 2027 Cup of Nations qualifiers against the host nation, scheduled for September 25, 2026, at the Peace Stadium, kicking off at 7 PM GMT.

The decision to utilize a military transport plane instead of a commercial flight was explained by a CAF Media officer, who noted that this arrangement was made to avoid the additional time and fatigue that would have resulted from flying to Abidjan and then traveling overland to Bouake. Ghanaian journalist Godwin Tagoe confirmed that this practice of using military transport for travel is not new and has been in use for some time.