Black Stars coach Chris Hughton has named his final squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, with many top players missing out.
Coach Chris Hughton called a 27-man squad for the tournament, which kicks off on January 13, 2024, in Ivory Coast. However, several noticeable players have been left out due to injuries, personal reasons, and poor form at club level.
Among those absent are;
Daniel Kofi Kyere (SC Freiburg): Ghanaiana are really looked forward to his recovery in time.
He is the typical team player. He can play everywhere in the attacking area and importantly, he doesn’t care whether he starts or is on the bench, he is always ready to do a job.
Thomas Partey (Arsenal): The Arsenal midfielder, a key figure in the Black Stars, will miss the tournament due to injury. Despite returning to training, his last match was in October, and his fitness isn’t expected to be tournament-ready.
Baba Rahman (PAOK): Opting out for personal reasons, left-back Baba Rahman, who plays for PAOK, will not be part of the squad for AFCON 2023.
Fatawu Issahaku (Leicester City): Despite enjoying success at club level with Leicester City and becoming a key player in their Premier League pursuit, the young talent has chosen to stay behind, uncertain about opportunities at AFCON.
Tariq Lamptey (Brighton): Another casualty due to injury, right-back Tariq Lamptey from Brighton will not be featuring in the tournament.
Kamaldeen Sulemana (Southampton): Sulemana, the Southampton winger, is also ruled out of AFCON 2023 due to injury.
Edmund Addo (Red Star Belgrade): Midfielder Edmund Addo has been dropped from the squad due to poor club form with Red Star Belgrade.
Abdul Manaf Nurudeen (K.A.S Eupen): The goalkeeper is set to miss out due to injury concerns.
Joseph Aidoo (Celta Vigo): He sustained an ankle injury during Ghana’s match against Mexico on Sunday, October 15, which the Black Stars eventually lost 2-0. Aidoo will be out for between six and seven months.
In spite the missing stars, Ghana is still expected to put up a strong performance at the tournament. The Stars will face Egypt, Mozambique, and Cape Verde in the group stage, with hopes of advancing to the knockout stages and making a deep run in the competition.
The Black Stars of Ghana have won the Africa Cup of Nations four times, and they always one of the favourites to win.
Frederick Marfo is a sportswriter and social worker well known for his advocacy for equal chances and rights for all athletes, especially those with disabilities.
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