The Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has acknowledged that Mohammed Kudus’ absence is a significant setback for the Black Stars, while insisting that injuries remain an unavoidable part of professional football.
The 25-year-old midfielder suffered a hamstring injury that initially placed him on course for a return to full fitness in late April. However, a setback in his recovery ultimately ruled him out for the remainder of the season, forcing him to miss the FIFA World Cup in North America.
Kudus was subsequently omitted from Carlos Queiroz’s final 26-man squad for the tournament.
Speaking on TV3 Sports, Mr Adams said Ghana had hoped the West Ham United attacker would recover in time to feature, but conceded that the situation reflects the harsh realities of the game.
“We prayed for Kudus to be fit in order to play the World Cup tournament, but injury is part of the football profession,” the Buem MP said.
Kudus, who earned widespread praise for his two-goal display in Ghana’s dramatic 3-2 win over South Korea at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, remains one of the team’s standout performers on the global stage.
Ghana, making their fifth appearance at the FIFA World Cup, have been drawn in Group L alongside Panama, England and Croatia.
The Black Stars begin their campaign against Panama on June 17 at BMO Field, before facing England on June 23 at Gillette Stadium. They will wrap up their group-stage fixtures against Croatia on June 27.
The four-time African champions will be hoping to progress beyond the group stage for the first time since their historic run to the quarter-finals at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
