2027 AFCON Qualifiers: It is not the fault of the players – Kurt Okraku defends Black Stars mass withdrawals

Ghana Football Association (GFA) president Kurt Okraku says no player has refused to represent the Black Stars since he took office, despite a number of withdrawals ahead of Ghana’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

Ghana will begin their qualifying campaign against Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké on Thursday, 24 September, with several key players unavailable.

Captain Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo, Baba Rahman, Alidu Seidu, Nathaniel Adjei and Prince Kwabena Adu have withdrawn from the squad because of injuries and personal reasons.

“It was the duty of the technical team to invite players for the upcoming games, but unfortunately, we have had issues,” Okraku told Asempa FM.

“I want to place it on record that no player has ever refused to play for the Black Stars since I assumed office as the president of the Football Association.”

Okraku said some players were dealing with injuries and other issues after demanding training schedules at their clubs.

“A lot of the players go through serious training, and some of them also have serious issues and some of them are forced to play because that is where they are employed full time,” he added.

“It is unfortunate that some of our players have withdrawn, and it is not their fault.”

Head coach Carlos Queiroz has responded to the withdrawals by making a number of late additions to the squad.

Brandon Thomas-Asante, Felix Afena-Gyan and Jonas Adjetey have been called up, while Rockson Yeboah and Rahim Ibrahim have received their first senior invitations.

After facing Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana will return home to host The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium three days later.

The Black Stars are seeking to return to the AFCON finals after failing to qualify for the 2025 tournament in Morocco, ending their run of consecutive appearances at the continental competition.

Ghana will then face Morocco in an international friendly in Tangier on 4 October as Queiroz continues preparations for the remainder of the qualifying campaign.