Ghana's Black Stars have bolstered their squad with nine additional players in response to a series of injury withdrawals, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) confirmed on 21 September 2026. The new players were called up by head coach Carlos Queiroz as the team prepares for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying matches against Cote d'Ivoire and The Gambia. The GFA described the move as a response to medical uncertainties surrounding several members of the original squad.
The nine new players include four defenders: Jonas Adjetey of VfL Wolfsburg, Alidu Seidu of OGC Nice, Ebenezer Annan of Rapid Bucharest, and Rockson Yeboah of Osasuna. Midfielder Rahim Ibrahim of Slovan Bratislava has also been drafted in. In attack, Queiroz has added Brandon Thomas-Asante of Coventry City, Mohammed Fuseini of Derby County, Benjamin Tetteh of Kalba, and Felix Afena-Gyan of Igdir FK.
The Black Stars opened camp in Accra on Monday, 21 September 2026, and began preparations for their double-header against Cote d'Ivoire and The Gambia in the AFCON 2027 qualifying series, alongside an international friendly against Morocco. Training continued on Tuesday as the squad worked toward those assignments, the GFA said.
A week of setbacks preceded the call-ups, with several players withdrawing from the squad due to injuries. Mohammed Kudus, who had a standout performance for Tottenham Hotspur, withdrew shortly after, and Prince Adu Kwabena was also placed in doubt. Nathaniel Adjei was ruled out with a hamstring injury for the second time, and Thomas-Asante was recalled to the squad following weekend injury scares.
The string of withdrawals and late additions means the squad facing Cote d'Ivoire and The Gambia looks markedly different from the one initially named for camp. The qualifiers form part of the process determining which teams reach the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, making these matches significant for Ghana's hopes of returning to the competition.
The GFA has confirmed only that training continued in Accra on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, ahead of the qualifiers against Cote d'Ivoire and The Gambia and the friendly against Morocco. No specific match dates, venues, or further squad changes have been announced beyond what the GFA has already communicated.
The additions bring a renewed sense of optimism to the Black Stars camp as they prepare for the upcoming matches. With the team now having a more complete squad, Queiroz will look to fine-tune his team's strategy and performance ahead of the qualifiers.
Key points
- Nine new players have been added to Ghana's Black Stars squad ahead of AFCON 2027 qualifiers.
- The new players were called up due to a series of injury withdrawals from the original squad.
- The Black Stars will face Cote d'Ivoire and The Gambia in the AFCON 2027 qualifying series, alongside an international friendly against Morocco.
