Ghana unveil final World Cup squad amid injury setbacks

By Maxwell Kumoye 
 

Ghana finally confirmed their 26-man squad for the FIFA World Cup late on Monday after head coach Carlos Queiroz was forced to contend with a series of late injury concerns before finalising his selection.

The veteran Portuguese tactician had been expected to announce his squad during a press conference ahead of Ghana's international friendly against Wales in Cardiff on Tuesday. 

However, the official list was only released shortly before FIFA's submission deadline.

Queiroz revealed that experienced centre-back Alexander Djiku suffered an injury in training over the weekend, prompting his withdrawal from the squad. 

He has been replaced by Dutch-born defender Derrick Luckassen.

The Black Stars had already suffered a significant blow with the absence of influential midfielder Mohammed Kudus, who failed to recover from a thigh injury in time for the tournament.

Kudus' chances of making the finals had appeared slim after he sustained a quadriceps injury in January, which required surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation process.

Ghana were also deprived of the services of defender Mohammed Salisu. 

The Monaco centre-back was ruled out after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament during a Ligue 1 fixture earlier this year.

There was, however, a welcome return to the national team for Baba Abdul Rahman. 

The 31-year-old former Chelsea full-back earned a recall after a three-year absence from the Black Stars setup. 

Although he was part of Ghana's squad for the 2022 World Cup, he has made just one international appearance since then.

Ghana will kick off their Group L campaign against Panama in Toronto on June 17 before facing two stern tests against England and Croatia as they seek a place in the knockout stages.

This version improves the flow, sharpens the lead, eliminates repetition, and gives the story a cleaner international news-agency style.

SQUAD:

GOALKEEPERS:
★ Joseph Anang
★ Benjamin Asare
★ Lawrence Ati-Zigi

DEFENDERS:
★ Jonas Adjetey
★ Derrick ⁠Luckassen
★ Gideon Mensah
★ Abdul Mumin
★ Jerome Opoku
★ Kojo Oppong Preprah
★ Baba Abdul Rahman
★ Alidu Seidu
★ Marvin Senaya

MIDFIELDERS:
★ Augustine Boakye
★ Abdul Fatawu Issahaku
★ Elisha Owusu
★ ⁠Thomas Partey
★ Kwasi Sibo
★ Kamal Deen Sulemana
★ Caleb Yirenkyi

FORWARDS:
★ Prince Kwabena Adu
★ Jordan Ayew
★ Christopher Bonsu Baah
★ Ernest Nuamah
★ Antoine Semenyo
★ Brandon Thomas-Asante
★ Inaki Williams

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