Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has revealed that Ghana’s preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers have been disrupted by a significant number of player absences.
Speaking at the press conference ahead of the AFCON qualifiers on Monday in Accra, Queiroz explained that when he initially assessed the players available for selection, he identified only 12 players as potential call-ups.
“When I started this journey, at the beginning, I looked at my paper, and I had 12 players out of the potential call-ups immediately. This is not a good starting point,” he said.
He revealed that Ghana had lost eight players even before preparations for the opening fixture, making the situation even more difficult.
“One day before you start camp for Ivory Coast, you lose eight players. This is not a good starting point,” he added.
Players such as Nathaniel Adjei and Prince Kwabena Adu withdrew from the squad due to injuries, forcing Ghana to adjust their plans ahead of the tournament.
Mohammed Kudus, who was initially recalled after recovering from an injury that ruled him out of the World Cup, has withdrawn from the squad as he continues his recovery and works towards regaining full fitness.
Queiroz, however, stressed that players must be active at club level and physically prepared before being considered for the Black Stars.
“There is always one general principle that we consider fundamental at this stage, except in exceptional circumstances: players should be in competitive action, physically prepared and fully ready to play for the national team.”
Ghana begin their qualifying campaign with a demanding trip to Bouaké, where they face Côte d’Ivoire at the Stade de la Paix on 24 September.
The Black Stars then return to the Accra Sports Stadium to host The Gambia on 27 September as Queiroz seeks to build early momentum in Group C.
Following the qualifiers, Ghana will round off the international window with a high-profile friendly against Morocco at the Grand Stade de Tanger on 4 October.
