2027 AFCON Qualifiers: No Black Stars player withdrew from squad intentionally - Kurt Okraku

Ghana Football Association (GFA) president Kurt Okraku has dismissed suggestions that any Black Stars player has deliberately withdrawn from the squad ahead of the team's opening matches in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Ghana have been hit by a series of high-profile absences, with Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo, Thomas Partey, Jordan Ayew, Baba Rahman, Nathaniel Adjei and Alidu Seidu all ruled out because of injury or personal reasons.

The withdrawals have sparked debate among supporters over whether some players were reluctant to join the national team for the upcoming fixtures against Côte d'Ivoire and Gambia.

However, Okraku insists the players' reasons for missing the matches are genuine and should not be questioned.

"Quite a number of our players are injured. No Ghanaian player intentionally did not want to play for Ghana since I started serving as the FA President," he told Asempa FM.

"A lot of these players play a lot of games or go through serious training regimes and most often get medical issues.

"A lot of them force themselves to play at club level because they are employed full-time. So they give off their utmost opportunity to compete and to be selected.

"All over the world, you have situations of at least a minimum of five players pulling out to take care of their medical needs."

The latest setbacks have forced head coach Carlos Queiroz to make several additions to his squad ahead of the start of the qualifying campaign.

Brandon Thomas-Asante, Felix Afena-Gyan and Jonas Adjetey have all been drafted in, while Rockson Yeboah and Rahim Ibrahim have earned their first senior national team call-ups.

Ghana begin their Group C campaign away to Côte d'Ivoire in Bouaké on 24 September before returning home to face Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium three days later.

The four-time African champions are seeking a return to the continental showpiece after failing to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco — the first time in more than two decades that Ghana missed out on the tournament.

Queiroz's side will conclude the international window with a friendly against Morocco in Tangier on 4 October as preparations continue for the rest of the qualifying campaign.