Southampton FC star defender Mohammed Salisu has turned down an invitation from the Ghana Football Association to be included in coach Milovan Rajevac’s squad for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, SportsworldGhana.com can confirm exclusively.
The Serbian is expected to submit at least forty players who will start training on 22 December in Doha, Qatar but the in-form central defender has asked the country’s football governing body to excuse him from the Cup of Nations squad.
The Ghana FA announced the itinerary of the team last week Friday which includes spending 15 days in the Gulf country to prepare for the tournament.
Rajavac will then trim the squad size to 23 on 30 December 2021 for the tournament proper.
The tactician, who took charge of the team this September, has been tasked to win the competition which will be staged in Cameroon.
I can confirm that @SouthamptonFC star Mohammed Salisu has turned down invitation from @ghanafaofficial to play for the Black Stars at the 2022 AFCON in Cameroon. pic.twitter.com/ucCOgXtK2H
— David Stevenson (@dav_stevenson) December 16, 2021
He played three 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and South Africa and managed to qualify the team to the final qualifying round.
The four-time champions will depart Ghana on December 22, and will engage themselves in serious training sessions in the next five days before they engage themselves in any preparatory game.
Meanwhile, SportsworldGhana.com can exclusively confirm that Accra Hearts of Oak goalkeeper Richard Attah is the only home-based goalie to have made the provisional list.
Additionally, Asante Kotoko captain Abdul Ishamil Ganiyu has been also been named in the list alongside Dreams FC duo Abdul Ftawu Issahaku and Philimon Baffour.
Ghana will be playing some unknown clubs as well as countries that will also be having their training tour in Qatar with their first friendly scheduled for December 28 after which the final squad will officially be announced and submitted to CAF on December 30, 2021.
The Black Stars will have another test for themselves on January 1 before they wrap up the preparations with a big one against the holders Algeria on January 5, 2021.
The AFCON 2022 starts on January 9 but Ghana will be up a day after and will come up against the Atlas Lions of Morocco in their opening game.
Their other two group games will be against Gabon and Comoros.
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