Semenyo, Williams, Djiku and five others withdraw from Ghana Squad for 2025 AFCON qualifiers

AL WAKRAH, QATAR – DECEMBER 02: Inaki Williams (L) and Antoine Semenyo of Ghana prepare to enter the pitch for warm ups prior to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group H match between Ghana and Uruguay at Al Janoub Stadium on December 02, 2022 in Al Wakrah, Qatar. (Photo by Maja Hitij – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)The Ghana Football Association has confirmed that eight key players have withdrawn from the Black Stars squad ahead of this months Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Angola and Niger.The losses include familiar, prominent names like Inaki Williams, Antoine Semenyo, and Tariq Lamptey, as injuries and personal matters strike Ghanas lineup just before two crucial games.The Black Stars will face Angola on November 15 in Luanda before hosting Niger three days later in Accra. Yet, Ghanas qualification hopes are precarious; they sit on the edge of elimination, needing to win both matches and hope that Sudan falters in their own campaign. The absence of these core players could complicate Ghana’s road to the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.The players absences stem from a range of injuries and personal reasons, per detailed updates from their clubs:

Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao): Struggling with a hamstring injury since November 7, sidelining him from training. Tariq Lamptey (Brighton): A calf issue aggravated last week; hes currently in rehabilitation. Jonas Adjetey (FC Basel): A recent setback in his recovery left him out of his clubs lineup. Jerome Opoku (Istanbul Basaksehir): Chronic back pain worsened during a recent match, prompting rehab. Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth): Battling patella tendon problems, hes consulting a specialist during the break. Alexander Djiku (Fenerbahe): Persistent hamstring trouble forced his substitution in a recent game. Ibrahim Osman (Feyenoord): A new hamstring injury saw him substituted at halftime in his last match. Joseph Painstil (LA Galaxy): Withdrawn for personal reasons.

This wave of absences strips Ghana of some of its brightest talents just as theyre needed most. However, the team will seek to rally under head coach Otto Addo as they aim to overcome Angola and Niger, knowing every point counts.