Roberto De Zerbi, the manager of Brighton & Hove Albion, has expressed bewilderment regarding the inclusion of the injured right-back Tariq Lamptey in Ghana’s provisional squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Lamptey, a former England youth international who recently made his debut for Ghana, has been sidelined due to injury since late October, missing Brighton’s last eight matches.
De Zerbi raised concerns about Lamptey’s selection, emphasizing that the player is currently unavailable for Brighton.
“He is not available to play with us, so how will he play with the Ghana national team? It seems that the Ghana national team coach does not follow the Premier League,” de Zerbi said during a press conference.
Ghana’s provisional squad, featuring 55 players, will be trimmed down to a final 27-man squad for the AFCON tournament.
While the specific location for the Black Stars’ pre-tournament camp is yet to be confirmed, preparations are set to commence at least three weeks before their opening match against Cape Verde on January 14. Subsequent group stage matches will see Ghana face Egypt and Mozambique.
Determined to make a strong impact in the tournament, the Black Stars aim to secure their first AFCON title since 1982.
