Ghana Football Association President Kurt Okraku has defended the Black Stars players who have withdrawn from the squad ahead of Ghana’s opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia.
Ghana will begin their Group C campaign against Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké today, Thursday, September 24, before hosting The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium three days later.
Captain Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo, Baba Rahman, Alidu Seidu, Nathaniel Adjei and Prince Kwabena Adu are among the players who have withdrawn from the squad because of injuries or personal reasons.
Kurt Okraku says no player has deliberately rejected an invitation to play for the Black Stars since he became GFA president.
“It was the duty of the technical team to invite players for the upcoming games, but unfortunately, we have had issues, and I want to place it on record that no player has ever refused to play for the Black Stars since I assumed office as the president of the Football Association,” he told Asempa FM.
He explained that the physical demands of football, combined with players’ club responsibilities, can sometimes affect their availability for international duty.
“A lot of the players go through serious training, and some of them also have serious issues and some of them are forced to play because that is where they are employed full time,” Okraku added.
“It is unfortunate that some of our players have withdrawn, and it is not their fault.”
Head coach Carlos Queiroz has responded to the absences by bringing additional players into the squad.
Brandon Thomas-Asante, Felix Afena-Gyan and Jonas Adjetey have been called up, while Rockson Yeboah and Rahim Ibrahim have received their first senior national team invitations.
Ghana are seeking a return to the AFCON finals after missing out on the 2025 tournament in Morocco, ending their run of successive appearances at the competition.
Following the two qualifiers, the Black Stars are scheduled to face Morocco in an international friendly in Tangier on October 4, as Queiroz continues preparations for the remaining matches in the qualifying campaign.
