Ghana’s preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers have suffered another setback after forward Antoine Semenyo withdrew from the Black Stars squad for the matches against Côte d’Ivoire and Gambia.
Semenyo has reportedly asked to be excused from the September-October international window as he continues his recovery from a niggling ankle injury.
The Manchester City forward was prepared to undergo independent medical checks on the injury through the Ghana Football Association (GFA), with further details expected to emerge after the assessment.
Semenyo’s withdrawal comes after an encouraging start to the new Premier League campaign. The 26-year-old has scored two goals and registered three assists in five appearances for Manchester City, establishing himself as one of the key attacking options available to Ghana.
His decision to sit out the international window will leave the Black Stars with even fewer options in attack. Ghana are already without several important players, including Mohammed Kudus and Thomas Partey, as coach Otto Addo prepares his side for the opening fixtures of the AFCON qualifying campaign.
The Black Stars begin their Group qualifying campaign away to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké on September 24. They will then return home to face Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium five days later.
With several players unavailable, the technical team has moved quickly to reinforce the squad through a series of late call-ups.
Brandon Thomas-Asante, Felix Afena-Gyan and Jonas Adjetey have been brought into the squad, while Rockson Yeboah and Rahim Ibrahim have earned their first invitations to the senior national team.
