Otto Addo named his 23-man squad for the doubleheader against Angola and Niger, notably missing from the squad list was clubless, Andre Ayew for the second time running.  

READ MORE: “If I am convinced I will call you” – Otto Addo on Ghana Premier League players

“Andre Ayew is a good player, but at the moment, he is not here. He doesn’t have a club, but nobody knows the future,” said the coach.

“If he gets a club and performs and scores 20 goals, maybe he can return because we are building something for the future.” He ended.

READ MORE: AFCON 2025Q: BlackStars squad released for Angola and Niger games

The team will be at home at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium to clash with Angola on September 5, 2024, and four days later with Niger in Morocco.

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Announcing his squad for the games shows visibly that one player from the domestic league made the squad, goalkeeper, Fredrick Asare.

READ MORE: AFCON 2025Q: BlackStars squad released for Angola and Niger games

This has drawn widespread discontent amongst football people who are of the view that other players who impressed in the just-ended 2023/2024 Ghana Premier League should have been given a fair opportunity.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT :

Speaking to pressmen about the squad announcement, coach Otto Addo disclosed that he would only call the best once he was convinced.

“I think it is not easy. I said last time we would watch the Ghanaian Premier League. It’s tough and I know if I leave a player out there will be questions,” he said.

“But at the moment for me, it is not about the Ghana Premier League, French Ligue 1, or the EPL or Bundesliga, it is about the players and we need the best players to qualify for the World Cup. I don’t care, if I am convinced I will call you,” he added.

https://twitter.com/SaharaFootball/status/1829136206892019852

The team will be at home at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium to clash with Angola on September 5, 2024, and four days later with Niger in Morocco.

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According to the informed Greek-based defender, his withdrawal from the squad is factually based on football reasons and has nothing to do with the incessant boos he suffered from the fans whiles playing for the BlackStars back in September.

READ MORE: AFCON 2023: Ayew, Kudus, Lamptey make final list as Partey, Baba Rahman, Issahaku miss out

He posted on his official Twitter handle that past injury struggles were consistent with the 

Rahman tweeted, “Playing for my country will always be the highest point of my career, and every time I have been lucky to wear the shirt, I have given my all.” Acknowledging the challenges of injury and recovery, he highlighted the importance of making tough calls for the benefit of both the national team and his career’s longevity.

https://twitter.com/babarahmangh/status/1741881430878134457

The final list saw players such as captain, Andre Ayew Mohammed Kudus, Inaki Williams, Daniel Amartey, Richard Ofori, and Mohammed Salisu.

Deputy captain of the BlackStars deputy Thomas Partey was also left out of the final list as well as Fatawu Issahaku. 

But to people’s surprise, Bernard Terkpetey, Bernard Mensah, Alfred Duncan, and Jeffrey Schlupp should have made the provisional squad list to talk off the final list. 

The local league managed to get a look in from the technical handlers of the BlackStars as Richmond Lamptey’s impressive performance went unnoticed, Medeama duo Fatawu Hamidu and striker Jonathan Sowah.

READ MORE: GPL Week Seventeen Review: Hearts, Kotoko, Aduana Stars win as Medeama draw

The squad will begin camping in Kumasi on January 2 and play Namibia on January 8, 2024.

The Black Stars have been housed in Group B alongside Egypt, Cape Verde, and Mozambique.

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In the last few weeks, Hughton had come under incessant pressure from several quarters within the Ghanaian landscape for failing to grind the results for the country.

READ MORE: Enock Adu Kofi: “I am ready to play for Ghana”

On the back of two consecutive international friendly losses against Mexico and the United States of America, the results have been dire in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

In two games, he won one against, Madagascar and lost one to Comoros.

Despite the inconsistencies in results and the failure of Hughton to impose his football culture on the team, Akonnor is optimistic that the BlackStars coach will get things should he be given the needed time, patience, and support.

“I know what he is going through. It’s a difficult time. Sometimes, you can get confused especially when the whole nation comes at you,” 

“We need to be calm. There is a need for calmness to prepare well, get focused, and have a strategy for going into this tournament.

“It’s a big deal for us as a football nation but we need to calm down and allow him to prepare the team adequately so we can go to this tournament and do well.”

READ  MORE: Ignatius Osei-Fosu: “Medeama wouldn’t have sacked me if I met Kwesi Appiah early”

Black Stars is housed in a tricky group with Egypt, Mozambique, and Cape Verde.

The 2023 AFCON is scheduled to come off on January 13 to February 11, 2024.

The post AFCON 2023: CK Akonnor rallies support for Chris Hughton first appeared on Sahara Football.

The 28-year-old was taken off on a stretcher in tears during BlackStar’s 2-0 defeat by Mexico on Sunday. 

READ MORE: Former England star, Bertrand throws support for BlackStars coach, Chris Hughton

He landed awkwardly after a challenge in the first half of the international friendly which saw hum replaced by Alidu Seidu in the 28th minute of the game.

Celta Vigo’s medical team assessed their towering defender and pronounced a six-month injury layoff which will see him miss the AFCON 2023 tournament slated for Cote d’Ivoire.

The club expressed its support and encouragement for Aidoo’s recovery.

In an official statement, Celta Medical Services’ head, Juan José García Cota, revealed the details of the operation to address Aidoo’s injury.

“The head of RC Celta’s medical services, Juan José García Cota, operated this morning on center back Joseph Aidoo, who suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in a match played with his national team last Saturday.

“The intervention, which passed without complications and took place early in the morning at the Fremap Hospital in Vigo, consisted of reconstructing the tendon with reinforced suture and applying growth factors.

“The light blue defender will remain out for 6-7 months. The club reiterates its message of encouragement and support for Aidoo, whom it wishes a full recovery,” the club announced on Thursday.

READ MORE : Tunisia’s Chouchane Asma  to officiate Olympic qualifying match between Ghana and Benin

The injury to Aidoo will see Chris Hughton rely on Alex Djiku, Mohammed Salisu, Daniel Amartey, and Nicholas Opoku. 

The post BlackStars defender, Joseph Aidoo faces six months injury layoff first appeared on Sahara Football.

The ceremony will take place at the Parc Des Expositions venue in Abidjan where the teams will discover their opponents.

READ MORE : CAF and VISA sign exclusive partnership for African football competitions

Ghana qualified for the Nations Cup after finishing top of Group E, with three wins and three draws.

The Black Stars are in pot 2 alongside Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Cameroon, and DR Congo in today’s draw.

The senior national team will hope to break their longstanding four decades without a major silverware when they participate in the upcoming tournament slated for Ivory Coast.

READ MORE : Hafiz Konkoni admits being under pressure to excel at Young Africans

The 34th edition of the African showpiece is scheduled to take place in Cote d’Ivoire from January 13 to February 11, 2024.

The post AFCON 2023 draw : Ghana to know group opponents today first appeared on Sahara Football.

After Ghana’s international friendly match versus Liberia at the Accra Sports Stadium, the condition of the country’s fields took center stage in the media.

READ MORE: AFCON 2023: Twenty-four (24) teams qualify for AFCON

The stadium, in the opinion of many spectators who witnessed the game both live and on television, is unfit to host Black Stars contests.

Speaking to reporters in the post-game conference, about the poor nature of the pitch quality, Chris Hughton smartly replied that he doesn’t decide concerning stadium venues for Black Stars matches. 

 “I would have to say first and foremost that the decision to where the games are played is of course decisions by the Football Association.”

 “What we can do is speak about today, The crowd was excellent today and I think they grew with us as the game got better and as the performance got better, the crowd got louder and I think probably the fact we hadn’t played here for a while probably had something to do with it and it’s good to be back here but as regards (to) where the games are played, that’s not my decision,” he ended

READ MORE : Heart of Lions announce signing of defender, Bismark Anim

BlackStars got the better of Liberia with goals from Nuamah, Kudus, and Jordan sealed victory for them in a four-goal thriller at the Accra Sports Stadium.

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On Tuesday, Cameroun qualified after thumping Burundi at home by three goals to nil which saw them edge their opposition in a fiercest game at the Roumdé Adjia Stadium.

READ MORE: Heart of Lions announce signing of defender, Bismark Anim

Elsewhere, Black Stars recovered from a goal down to post a 2-1 victory over Central African Republic to seal the top spot ahead of Angola, who came in second in Group E.

https://twitter.com/CAF_Online/status/1701719296265638212

Ghana will battle the likes of Nigeria, Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Mali, and Ivory Coast in their bid to break its four-decade absence for AFCON silverware.

READ MORE: Accra Lions announce signing of Bernard Kesse

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations will occur in Ivory Coast from January 13 to February 11, 2024.

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Watch Highlights:

The post Watch Highlights: Ghana 2-1 Central African Republic | AFCON Qualifiers first appeared on Sahara Football.

The away side was looking to advance as one of two teams in Group E  for their second appearance at the AFCON tournament. 

Louis Mafouta tested Lawrence Ati Zigi in post for the Black Stars but his effort was tipped over the post for a corner which they failed to make use of. 

AFCON 2023Q: Ghana beat Central African Republic to secure AFCON 2023 qualifications to Ivory Coast

In the 25th minute of the game, Amos Yoga and Venuste Baboula combined effortlessly to set Louis Mafouta up who selflessly rounded the on-rushing, Lawrence Ati Zigi in post to calmly slot home the first goal of the game for visitors. 

The Black Stars equalized through Kudus on the stroke of halftime and got the winner after second-half substitutes Antoine Semenyo and Ernest Nuamah combined to give the Black Stars the winner, 2-1. 

AFCON 2023Q: Jordan, Kudus, Djiku start as Dede dropped to the bench against C.A.R

Speaking to reporters in the post-match press conference, a disgruntled, Savoy, was displeased with certain calls by the referee alluding that, the centre-man aided Ghana’s qualification and remarked that the host will have a poor showing at the AFCON like the former in Cameroon.

“Your next AFCON will be like the last one,” a trusted Savoy said as he left the press room at the Baba Yara Stadium.

Ghana led group E with 12 points followed by Angola with 9 points, and Central Africa Republic and Madagascar basked 7 and 3 respectively. 

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