Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has explained the circumstances surrounding Mohammed Kudus’ withdrawal from Ghana’s squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Queiroz said the decision was taken after considering Kudus’ situation at club level and the information gathered by the national team’s technical team during its monitoring of the midfielder.
The Portuguese coach explained that national team coaches have to make selection and player-management decisions based on the information available to them, while acknowledging that they have no control over the decisions made by club coaches.
“On the course of our decisions we have the club games and we national team coaches, we can’t control the decisions of coaches [in clubs],” Queiroz said.
The Black Stars coach said the technical team had been closely observing Kudus and communicating about his condition before reaching a decision regarding his involvement in the qualifiers.
According to Queiroz, the information gathered suggested that Kudus was making progress, but the situation still required careful consideration as Ghana prepared for the competitive matches.
“In the course of our observations and conversations, it looked like Kudus was moving in the right direction and I had to make the decisions with the matches,” he added.
Kudus’ withdrawal means Ghana will have to prepare for the qualifiers without one of its key attacking players, placing greater responsibility on the other members of the squad to contribute in the upcoming fixtures.
Queiroz’s explanation also highlights the challenges faced by national team coaches when managing players who are balancing international commitments with their responsibilities at club level.
Unlike club coaches, national team managers have limited opportunities to work with their players and must often make important decisions within short international windows.
The Black Stars technical team therefore has to rely on club performances, medical information, training observations and discussions with players and their clubs when determining their readiness.
For Queiroz, the priority remains ensuring that players selected for Ghana are adequately prepared for the demands of international football, while decisions concerning individual players are made after considering the circumstances surrounding them.
Ghana will now continue preparations for the upcoming AFCON qualifiers as the Black Stars seek a positive start to their campaign and qualification for the next continental tournament.
