Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has explained the circumstances behind Mohammed Kudus’ withdrawal from Ghana’s squad for this month’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, saying the decision was made to prioritise the forward’s recovery.
The 26-year-old Tottenham Hotspur attacker was initially included in Ghana’s 24-man squad for the matches against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia, but has since pulled out after returning from a lengthy injury layoff.
Speaking to reporters in Accra on Monday, Queiroz said his conversations with Kudus had initially suggested the player would be available, but the situation changed after the forward played more than 70 minutes for Spurs.
The Portuguese coach also stressed that national team managers cannot dictate how clubs manage their players.
“It is simple for you guys to understand. In the course of our decisions as national team coaches, we cannot control the decisions of club coaches,” Queiroz said.
“In the course of our conversations, it looked like Kudus was moving in the right direction. After playing 70-something minutes for Tottenham, we had a little conversation with him and decided it would be best for him to rest and recover properly.
“We have to make decisions based on the information we have in our hands,” the 73-year-old added.
Ghana begin their Group C qualifying campaign with a difficult away fixture against Côte d’Ivoire at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké on 24 September.
The Black Stars will then return to the Accra Sports Stadium to host The Gambia on 27 September before concluding the international window with a friendly against Morocco at the Grand Stade de Tanger on 4 October.
