Ghana’s preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers have been hit by a wave of withdrawals, with seven players, including Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo and captain Jordan Ayew, ruled out of the Black Stars’ opening fixtures.

The other players unavailable to head coach Carlos Queiroz are Baba Rahman, Alidu Seidu, Prince Kwabena Adu and Nathaniel Adjei.

The withdrawals come just days before Ghana begins its Group C campaign against Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké on Thursday, September 24, before hosting The Gambia in Accra on September 29.

The Black Stars have been forced to make several changes to the squad after medical and fitness concerns emerged among the players initially selected.

Kudus continues recovery

Mohammed Kudus, who was set to return to the Black Stars squad after missing the 2026 FIFA World Cup following an injury, has withdrawn over fitness issues as he continues his recovery.

The Tottenham forward had been sidelined for about seven months before returning to action for his club. Since October last year, he hadn't made any appearance for the Black Stars until he was included in the squad for ythe AFCON qualifiers.

Queiroz explained that although Kudus initially appeared to be progressing well, concerns emerged after he played more than 70 minutes, prompting discussions about whether he should join the national team.

According to the coach, the decision was ultimately taken to protect the player from suffering a setback.

“We realised the best decision was to protect his recovery process. He can take the risk of a step-back, and nobody wants that,” Queiroz said.

He added that he expects Kudus to be ready after getting more training and competitive minutes.

Semenyo and Ayew ruled out

Antoine Semenyo is also unavailable after reportedly suffering a swollen ankle.

The Manchester City forward had been in impressive form before the international break, scoring twice and providing an assist in his side’s 5-3 Premier League victory over Sunderland on September 20.

Captain Jordan Ayew has also been ruled out after reporting discomfort upon joining the team in Accra.

A scan reportedly confirmed a knee injury, ruling the Sheffield United forward out of the opening qualifiers.

His absence means Queiroz will have to begin the new AFCON qualifying campaign without the captain who was expected to provide experience and leadership to the team.

Defensive problems

The Black Stars have also lost several defensive options.

Baba Rahman has been ruled out after medical assessment, while Nathaniel Adjei is unavailable due to injury.

Alidu Seidu, who was initially brought into the squad as a replacement following the withdrawals, has also become unavailable.

Prince Kwabena Adu is another absentee after suffering a head injury while playing for Viktoria Plzeň.

The forward was initially selected as part of Queiroz’s 24-man squad but is now unavailable for the upcoming qualifiers.

GFA makes changes

The Ghana Football Association has responded to the growing list of absentees by making several additions to the squad.

Jonas Adjetey, Alidu Seidu, Ebenezer Annan, Rockson Yeboah, Rahim Ibrahim, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Mohammed Fuseini, Benjamin Tetteh and Felix Afena-Gyan were added following the medical uncertainties.

However, Seidu has since also become unavailable, further complicating Queiroz’s plans.

The GFA has said the changes were necessitated by “medical uncertainties presented by some players.”

Queiroz: 'We keep sailing'

Despite the setbacks, Queiroz has sought to play down the disruption and insists Ghana will continue with preparations.

Speaking ahead of the qualifiers, the Portuguese coach described the situation as having “a couple of holes in our boat” but said the technical team was working to fix them.

“We keep sailing strong and our job in the last 48 hours is to fix those issues,” Queiroz said.

He also stressed that Ghana has little time to prepare, with the squad only coming together shortly before the opening qualifier.

“There is no room for great decisions, no room for development, only room to deliver,” he said.

GFA calls for support

GFA President Kurt Okraku has also defended the players amid the withdrawals, rejecting suggestions that players deliberately opted out of national duty.

He said the absences were largely due to injuries and medical concerns and that no Ghanaian player had deliberately refused to play for the Black Stars during his tenure.

“A lot of our players are injured. No Ghanaian player intentionally did not want to play for Ghana since I started serving as the FA president,” Okraku said.

He urged Ghanaians to support the players who remain available for the qualifiers, saying the team must focus on securing qualification.

“I am positive about the players that the coach has assembled. They are very good players, very dedicated, and what we have to do is support these players,” he said.

What next for Ghana?

Queiroz will now have to rely on the reshaped squad for Ghana’s first two Group C matches.

The Black Stars travel to Bouaké to face Côte d’Ivoire on Thursday, September 24, before returning home to host The Gambia on September 29.

Ghana will then travel to Morocco for an international friendly against the Atlas Lions on October 4.

The Black Stars are seeking to return to the Africa Cup of Nations after failing to qualify for the 2025 tournament in Morocco.

With several established players unavailable, the opening qualifiers will provide an early test of the depth of Queiroz’s squad and give some of the newly called-up players an opportunity to establish themselves in the national team.