Ahead of Ghana’s crucial tie against Madagascar in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, Black Stars coach Chris Hughton has announced a 24-man for the game.
The list includes the return of Alidu Seidu and Kwasi Okyere Wriedt, who missed the previous call-ups.
19-year-old Ernest Nuamah, who impressed for FC Nordjaelland and the Black Meteors has also been rewarded with a call-up.
Aside from the absence of local players in the squad, there are several key players who have been sidelined due to injury.
GhanaWeb takes a look at some players who were left out of Ghana’s squad due to injury.
Antoine Semenyo
The Bournemouth striker who was vital to Ghana’s win over Angola at the Baba Yara Stadium was left out due to injury. The striker has proven himself to be one of the goal poachers the Black Stars can rely on.
The striker got injured towards the end of the Premier League season and is currently nursing his injury. Semenyo who had a good campaign with Championship side, Bristol City struggled to settle in the Premier League as he managed just one goal in his first season.
Mohammed Salisu
Salisu was also left out of the Black Stars squad to face Madagascar as a result of injury. The Southampton defender received a call-up to the national team back in March when the Black Stars faced Angola in a doubleheader, however, the defender arrived in camp with an injury and had to be excused from training.
Since he returned to club football, Salisu has been unable to return to action, he is expected to recover from his injury before the commencement of the 2023/2024 season.
His last game for the Black Stars was at the 2022 World Cup.
Tariq Lamptey
The Brighton defender has been out of action since February 2023 when he picked up an injury in a Premier League match. He managed to return to training but later worsened his injury again. He has disclosed that he needs more time to fully recover from his injury. Lamptey missed 17 games for Brighton last season.
In March, Tariq Lamptey missed the opportunity to make his home debut against Angola and has now missed another AFCON qualifying match against Madagascar.
Abdul Baba Rahman
The left-back has been active in the Black Stars since the 2021 AFCON. However, his recent injury has seen him miss the last two call-ups in the Black Stars. In his absence, Gideon Mensah and Patrick Kpozo have been entrusted to do the job.
Baba Rahman missed 10 games for Reading in the English Championship. After seeing through his loan spell at Reading, Baba Rahman has returned to Chelsea to continue his recovery from injury.
Daniel Kofi Kyereh
The midfielder was ruled out of action for last season after suffering a cruciate ligament rupture during a training session in February. Before his injury, he played a vital role in the team under both Milovan Rajevac and Otto Addo, and he also participated in every match at the 2022 World Cup and the 2021 AFCON. Kofi Kyereh’s absence has been filled by Majeedd Ashimeru who has been a notable replacement in previous games.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com