Mohammed Kudus will not join the Black Stars for Ghana’s upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia, despite being named in Carlos Queiroz’s 24-man squad.
The Tottenham Hotspur forward has chosen to remain with his club as he continues his recovery and works towards regaining full fitness and his best form before returning to international duty.
According to JoySports, the decision has already been communicated to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and coach Carlos Queiroz.
Kudus’ withdrawal comes shortly after he ended a lengthy spell on the sidelines and returned to Premier League action for Tottenham.
The 26-year-old was introduced at half-time during Tottenham’s 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday, injecting more urgency into the hosts’ attack.
He made an immediate impact, setting up Conor Gallagher for Tottenham’s first Premier League goal of the season in the 86th minute. Kudus created the opportunity after cutting the ball back from the byline.
His substitute appearance came days after he made his first start since January in Tottenham’s Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool.
Kudus had spent seven months recovering from a significant quad injury suffered in January. His rehabilitation was further complicated in April when Tottenham confirmed that he had suffered a setback and needed additional specialist assessment.
The injury also ruled him out of Ghana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign.
After confirming that Kudus had recovered and returned to competitive football, the GFA included him in Queiroz’s latest squad for the upcoming international assignments.
However, his decision to remain in England means Ghana will have to wait longer for his return to the Black Stars.
Kudus last featured for the national team on October 12, 2025, scoring the decisive goal in Ghana’s 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Comoros in Accra.
The Black Stars are scheduled to travel to Bouaké to face Côte d’Ivoire on September 24 before hosting The Gambia on September 29. Ghana will then take on Morocco in an international friendly on October 4.
