AFCON 2023: Strong home-based presence in Ghana’s provisional squad

CAF has unveiled Ghana’s 55-man provisional squad for the forthcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Ivory Coast.

The squad is notably composed of several players who featured at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Black Stars suffered an early exit after one win in three matches.

Captain Andre Ayew leads the provisional squad, accompanied by key players such as Thomas Partey, Mohammed Kudus, Jordan Ayew, Antoine Semenyo, Baba Rahman, Alexander Djiku, and the recently recovered Mohammed Salisu. Notable additions include Kamaldeen Sulemana, Inaki Williams, and Osman Bukari.

The squad also includes 11 home-based players, representing various clubs such as Asante Kotoko, Medeama, Dreams FC, Great Olympics, and Nations FC. Defending champions Medeama, who clinched the league title last season, have five players – Felix Kyei, Derrick Fordjour, Abdulai Nurudeen, Hamidu Fatawu, and Jonathan Sowah.

In-form midfielder Richmond Lamptey, hailing from Kotoko, adds to the squad’s strength, while Dreams FC secured two spots with John Antwi and Godfred Atuahene. Additionally, two players from Great Olympics made it into the squad, with Nations FC claiming the last spot. There is no player from Hearts of Oak.

The provisional squad will be narrowed down to a final 27 players who will represent Ghana in the tournament. The Black Stars are expected to commence their pre-tournament camp at least three weeks before their opening match, with the specific base yet to be confirmed.

Ghana’s group stage matches in the AFCON will commence with a clash against Cape Verde on January 14, followed by encounters with Egypt and Mozambique. The Black Stars, eager to end their AFCON title drought dating back to 1982, are determined to make a strong impact in the upcoming tournament.