Manager of Ghana’s men’s national team, the Black Stars, Otto Addo, has released his 23-man squad for the upcoming Unity Cup, set to begin on May 28.
The list notably excludes some of the team’s top-rated players.Absent from the squad are West Ham midfielder Mohammed Kudus, Arsenal’s Thomas Partey, Fenerbahçe defender Alexander Djiku, and Bournemouth’s rising star Antoine Semenyo.
Their unavailability has paved the way for several new players to earn their first call-ups to the national team.
Felix Afena-Gyan, who currently plays in Italy’s lower-tier side Juventus Next Gen, has made a return to the squad. This marks his comeback after a period of poor form that saw him miss out on call-ups since Ghana’s World Cup qualification playoff against Nigeria.
Two standout performers from Ghana’s U-20 team, Abdul Aziz Issah and Aaron Essel, have earned a spot in the senior squad following their impressive performances during the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
The squad also features four home-based players: Kwame Opoku from Asante Kotoko, Benjamin Asare from Hearts of Oak, Razak Simpson from Nations FC, and Mamudu Kamaradini from Medeama SC.In addition, Caleb Yirenkyi of FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark and Mohammed Gadafi Fuseini of Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium have received their first senior call-ups to the Black Stars.
The team is expected to converge in London ahead of the Unity Cup, which features Ghana, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica. Ghana will lock horns with Nigeria in the semi-final on Wednesday, May 28, at the GTech Community Stadium. A win will secure them a place in the final, slated for Saturday, May 31.