The Black Stars have begun training ahead of their friendlies with South Korea in Seoul set for tomorrow Tuesday, November 18.

Following their defeat to Japan on Friday, November 14, at the Toyota Stadium, Aichi, the head coach Otto Addo has expressed optimism despite player injury struggles.

Two of the squad’s top players, Antoine Semenyo and Mohammed Salisu have both returned to their clubs due to fitness concerns, joining Francis Abu, who remains sidelined with a fractured ankle.

Semenyo, who started in last Friday’s friendly against Japan, was substituted in the 55th minute after aggravating a left anterior talo-fibular ligament sprain.

These developments leave Addo with 19 players to finalize his lineup. The team will continue preparations with a session at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Monday ahead of the 10:00 a.m. kickoff.

Despite the disruptions, the Black Stars are determined to respond positively and close the international window on a strong note.

In a pre-match interview, Otto Addo admitted the difficulties posed by the reduced squad however he said his side have “prepared very well”.

“We were facing some difficulties due to injured players. It’s also, to be honest, not so easy for us to get replacements because of visa issues. It’s always not possible to get fast replacements. But we prepared very well,” he said.

He continued, “We are looking forward to the match on Tuesday. The last time we met them was at the World Cup, where we won, but it was a very close match. We are happy to be here and happy to have this opportunity to play against South Korea,” Addo added.

Also, Atalanta forward Kamaldeen Sulemana backed Otto Addo saying ,

“It’s a different team than we played against a few years ago. I know they also have different players. It’s going to be a tough game for us, but I also think we can beat them,” Sulemana said.

He added: “I think we’ve got the quality to beat them. We are going to try to do that. We are very excited to be here.”

Meanwhile, during the Black Stars game with Japan, the Asian country notched their first goal just fifteen minutes into the game courtesy of Takumi Minamino. Japan dominated at a point after the possession was shared by both teams for a long period, giving Ghana a hard time breaking into their defence.

After the first half, the Black Stars conceded another goal in the 59th minute, when Ritsu Doan gave a fine strike, curling the ball into the bottom corner to seal the win. Ghana nearly responded, but Brandon Thomas-Asante dragged his effort wide.

This came after Ghana suffered a setback when Abu Francis picked up a serious injury and was stretchered off, prompting Alidu Seidu’s introduction. Prince Kwabena Adu also replaced Semenyo.

Ghana’s defeat has been partly attributed to Coach Otto Addo fielding debutants like Derrick Kohn and Joseph Annan.

Addo made further substitutions, bringing on Gideon Mensah for Jerome Opoku and Christopher Baah Bonsu for Thomas-Asante, but Japan maintained control to secure the victory.

Ahead of the clash, some key players, including Thomas Partey, Jordan Ayew, and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, were missing from the squad listed to play Japan and South Korea in the friendlies in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Their absence sparked reactions from fans and pundits seeking explanations for the absence of such players.

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) responded, stating that their exclusion was based on legitimate reasons. Speaking during an interview on Asempa FM in Accra, yesterday, Wednesday, November 12, the Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Henry Asante Twum, clarified that their absence is to allow budding talents to prove their worth in the senior national team.

Head coach Otto Addo opted to give opportunities to emerging talents, including Kelvin Nkrumah, Prince Kwabena Adu, and Prince Osei Owusu.

According to Henry, it was mutual consent that some key players were left out of the squad; some needed to rest.

“Absentees from the Black Stars squad for the Japan and South Korea friendly games are due to legitimate reasons and not the travelling distance. We all came to an agreement that some players will need to rest while others are nursing injuries, so we had to let them stay behind. The new faces in the squad have been on the radar of the technical team for some time now, and this is an opportunity for them to prove their worth in these games,” he said.

He further noted that the friendlies form part of a broader development plan aimed at building a strong team for future competitions.

“These friendly games are aimed at working on something within the Black Stars setup and among the players. We just want to make use of the best talents for the future,” he added.