Ghana's preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign have hit a snag due to a series of injuries and fitness concerns. Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz must reshape his squad ahead of the opening Group C encounter against Côte d’Ivoire. The team will be without several established members of the original squad due to injury setbacks and fitness-related withdrawals.
The injury list includes Jan Gyamerah, Antoine Semenyo, Nathaniel Adjei, and Abdul Rahman Baba, who are all unavailable due to injuries. Alidu Seidu has also withdrawn from the assignment due to fitness concerns. Captain Jordan Ayew has been ruled out after sustaining a groin injury, while Viktoria Plzeň forward Prince Kwabena Adu is another absentee after suffering a head injury during club action.
The absences have been compounded by the unavailability of experienced midfielder Thomas Partey, who is out through injury. Mohammed Kudus, who had initially been included in the squad, has also withdrawn from international duty as he continues his rehabilitation and fitness program at Tottenham. These withdrawals have substantially changed the composition of the squad Queiroz originally announced on September 18.
The Ghana Football Association has introduced additional players into the wider squad, including Jonas Adjetey, Ebenezer Annan, Rockson Yeboah, Rahim Ibrahim, Brandon Thomas Asante, Mohammed Fuseini, Benjamin Tetteh, Jerry Afriyie, and Felix Afena Gyan. The reshaped Black Stars squad opened camp in Accra on Monday as preparations intensified for the demanding international period.
Ghana’s opening assignment will take the team to Bouaké, where the Black Stars will confront Côte d’Ivoire in their first Group C qualifying fixture. The team will then return to Ghana to host The Gambia in Accra on September 29 before traveling to Morocco for an international friendly against the North Africans in Tangier on October 4.
The sequence of fixtures gives Queiroz limited time to integrate the replacement players and establish the combinations he will require after losing several members of his initial selection. The absences are particularly significant because Ghana is beginning a new qualifying campaign after failing to secure qualification for the previous Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
For Queiroz, the immediate task is to maximize the resources available to him and prepare the reshaped squad for the demanding encounter in Bouaké. Côte d’Ivoire will provide a formidable opening test, and the absence of several experienced Ghanaian players means that members of the revised squad will have an opportunity to assume greater responsibility from the beginning of the campaign.
Key points
- Ghana's Black Stars face major injury blows and mass withdrawals ahead of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign opener against Côte d’Ivoire.
- The team will be without several established members of the original squad due to injury setbacks and fitness-related withdrawals.
- The absences are particularly significant because Ghana is beginning a new qualifying campaign after failing to secure qualification for the previous Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
