Black Stars dealt with major blow as Antoine Semenyo withdraws from Black Stars due to injury

• Antoine Semenyo has withdrawn from Ghana’s squad, with 3Sports reporting a swollen ankle as the reason.

• Mohammed Kudus has also opted out as he continues his recovery after a lengthy injury lay-off.

• The GFA has added nine players to Queiroz’s squad ahead of the qualifiers against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia.

Ghana’s preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers have suffered another setback, with Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo set to miss the Black Stars’ upcoming matches against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia.

READ ALSO: Carlos Queiroz makes 9 additions to Black Stars squad for AFCON qualifiers

According to 3Sports, Semenyo has withdrawn from the squad after suffering a swollen ankle rendering him unavailable for the qualifiers.

The withdrawal comes just days after Semenyo produced one of his best performances for Manchester City, scoring twice and providing an assist in City’s 5-3 Premier League win over Sunderland on September 20.

Semenyo's absence adds to a growing list of key players unavailable to Carlos Queiroz for his first competitive assignments since taking up a new Black Stars mandate.

Tottenham midfielder Mohammed Kudus has also opted out of the squad, despite initially being named in Queiroz’s 24-man selection.

Reports indicate that Kudus wants to concentrate on completing his recovery and regaining full fitness after a seven-month injury lay-off.

READ ALSO: Mohammed Kudus withdraws from Black Stars squad ahead of AFCON qualifiers

Kudus had only recently returned to competitive football and came off the bench to provide an assist in Tottenham's 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa on September 19.

Queiroz later explained that the decision was taken after further assessment of Kudus' condition.

Due to several players facing medical or availability issues, the GFA has expanded the squad. The new additions are:

READ ALSO: 'He is still a young boy' – Queiroz backs Black Stars captain Ayew amid calls for him to retire

Defenders: Jonas Adjetey, Alidu Seidu, Ebenezer Annan and Rockson Yeboah.

Midfielder: Rahim Ibrahim.

Forwards: Brandon Thomas-Asante, Mohammed Fuseini, Benjamin Tetteh and Felix Afena-Gyan.

The GFA said the additions were made because of medical uncertainties presented by some players. The squad opened camp in Accra on Monday, September 21.

The Black Stars begin their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign against Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké on Thursday, September 24. They will then return home to face The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, September 29, before travelling to Morocco for a friendly against the Atlas Lions on October 4.