Striker Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City and Villarreal’s Thomas Partey are just some of the more famous names to be found in Carlos Queiroz’s 28-man Ghana World Cup squad set to feature in the tournament next month, while the Black Stars’ main forward, Mohammed Kudus, has also been left out injured.
The Spurs’ attacking force was widely tipped to be the main target for Ghana at the tournament, but he will miss it through a quad injury suffered earlier in the season, which had its recovery time affected by some unforeseen difficulties with the rehabilitation, leading to surgery.
Olympique Lyon’s defender Mohammed Salisu also failed to make it after an operation for an ACL injury meant that he would be unable to participate at the World Cup finals.
Still, some of Queiroz’s troops have returned after injuries, including Ernest Nuamah, Baba Abdul Rahman, Abdul Mumin, Alidu Seidu, and Augustine Boakye; all three had to contend with long periods sidelined due to injuries, while the young AJAX forward, Paul Reverson, makes his first appearance in a senior Ghana squad.
The stable and strong attacking force is led by captain Jordan Ayew, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, winger from Leicester and the striker from Athletic Bilbao, Iaki Williams, whose group matches would start with a Group L fixture with Panama in Toronto, and follow with games against England in Boston, Croatia in Philadelphia, after spending time preparing in Cardiff where they are due to face Wales in a friendly.
Ghana’s Black Stars Provisional World Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Benjamin Asare (Accra Hearts of Oak), Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St. Gallen), Joseph Anang (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Solomon Agbasi (Accra Hearts of Oak), Paul Reverson (Ajax).
Defenders: Baba Abdul Rahman (PAOK), Gideon Mensah (Auxerre), Marvin Senaya (Auxerre), Alidu Seidu (Rennes), Abdul Mumin (Rayo Vallecano), Jerome Opoku (Istanbul Basaksehir), Jonas Adjetey (Wolfsburg), Kojo Oppong Peprah (Nice), Alexander Djiku (Spartak Moscow), Elisha Owusu (Auxerre).
Midfielders: Thomas Partey (Villarreal), Kwasi Sibo (Real Oviedo), Augustine Boakye (Saint-Étienne), Caleb Yirenkyi (FC Nordsjaelland), Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Leicester City).
Forwards: Kamal Deen Sulemana (Atlanta), Christopher Bonsu Baah (Al Qadsiah), Ernest Nuamah (Lyon), Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City), Brandon Thomas-Asante (Coventry City), Prince Kwabena Adu (Viktoria Plzen), Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Jordan Ayew (Leicester City).
