Henry Asante Twum, a spokesperson for the Ghana Football Association (GFA), has officially announced that Abdul Fatawu Issahaku has stepped in to replace Joseph Paintsil in the Black Stars squad.
Paintsil, who initially joined the Black Stars camp for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against the Central African Republic (CAR), has had to return to his parent club, KRC Genk. This decision followed a thorough assessment of an injury he sustained before joining the national team’s camp.
In his place, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, who recently embarked on a loan move from Sporting Lisbon to Leicester City, has been included in the squad, taking over from the former Tema Youth winger.
As Asante Twum stated in an interview with Asempa FM, “I can confirm that Abdul Fatawu Issahaku has joined the team here in Kumasi but as to whether he will play or not, that is left for the coach to decide,” he told Asempa FM as monitored by Footballghana.com.
He further elaborated on the situation, mentioning that Issahaku was initially on standby, and both the player and the coach were aware of this arrangement. Although there was some initial reluctance from Leicester City to release him, subsequent discussions led to their agreement.
“He was on standby and the player himself was aware of the decision of the coach. Even though Leicester City were reluctant to release him but upon further engagement with them, they agreed.
As for Issahaku’s potential involvement, Asante Twum mentioned, “Even if he does not play, I am sure he will get the opportunity to feature against Liberia in the friendly game on Tuesday at the Accra Sports Stadium,” he added.
Ghana currently holds the top position in their group with nine points and will host CAR at the Baba Yara Stadium. A draw or a victory in this final Group E match will secure their qualification for the tournament, which is set to be hosted in Ivory Coast next year.
