Otto Addo, the Black Stars’ coach, has decided on 23 players for the Unity Cup 2025 in London this week. The team has added four homegrown players: Kwame Opoku of Asante Kotoko, Kamaradini Mamudu of Medeama SC, Razak Simpson of Nations FC, and Benjamin Asare of Hearts of Oak.

Joseph Tetteh Anang, a former goalkeeper for West Ham United who currently plays for St. Patrick’s Athletic in Ireland, has also received his first call-up.

Aaron Essel and Abdul Aziz Issah, who played for Ghana at the most recent U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, are another.

The team also includes Belgium-based Mohammed Gadafi Fuseini of Union Saint-Gilloise and Caleb Yirenkyi, a top player who has excelled for FC Nordsjaelland in the Danish top division.

Majeed Ashimeru of Anderlecht, forward Felix Afena Gyan, and midfielder Abdul Samed Salis of Sunderland are all returning to the squad. Abdul Samed Salis is making a comeback after recovering from an injury that kept him out of action for half of the season, and Afena Gyan is rejoining the team after nearly two years away.

To start getting ready for the Unity Cup, which includes Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Nigeria, the players are anticipated to report to camp in London.

Ghana will take on Nigeria at the GTech Community Stadium in West London on Wednesday, May 28, for a slot in the final on Saturday, May 31, 2025.

Otto Addo, coach of the Ghana Black Stars, selects the team for the 2025 Unity Cup.

Brighton & Hove Albion reportedly expressed interest in the Ghanaian central defender, Terry Yegbe.

Terry Yegbe has gotten the attention of Brighton and other Premier League clubs, including Fulham and Crystal Palace as well as German sides Union Berlin and Freiburg, per KickGh.com.

READ ALSO: Black Stars coach Otto Addo awaits unpaid salaries

After leaving the Finnish team SJK Seinäjoki to join Elfsborg, Yegbe has emerged as a key player in their defense. He made 22 league appearances in his rookie campaign, tallying three goals and one assist.

He also made appearances in twelve Europa League games, highlighting his rising stature in the European arena.

According to reports, Elfsborg has set a valuation for Yegbe of about €5 million. The defender seems happy at his current club and is not actively looking for a transfer, despite the growing interest.

On the international front, Yegbe recently received his first call-up to Ghana’s senior national team, the Black Stars, as a late replacement for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Angola and Niger.

This follows his participation with the Black Meteors at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Black Stars should work on their “fear factor” in the upcoming games.

Nii Lante Vanderpuye, the former minister for Youth and Sports, has warned Ghana Black Stars to step up their performances and not let their recent wins downplay the strength of their next 2026 World Cup qualifier matches.

Despite the victories over Chad and Madagascar, 5-0 and 3-0, respectively, the former minister seems unimpressed by their performances; Vanderpuye remains unconvinced about the team’s overall development.

READ ALSO: Black Stars to hold official training in Luanda

“I want to see a Ghana national team that will strike fear or put every other team on alert that they are playing Ghana, whether you are Argentina or Brazil,” Vanderpuye emphasised.

Despite the huge score lines, he voiced worries about the team’s development, saying that the two games played thus far show no signs of growth.

With 15 points, Ghana leads Group I, and the wins have increased the team’s chances of making it to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Vanderpuye’s remarks emphasize how important it is for the Black Stars to create a “fear factor” in order to be a strong opponent in future games.

Prosper Narteh Ogum, the head coach of Asante Kotoko, has urged the Black Stars’ technical staff to look far and wide for local talents to play for the senior national team.

The only local players chosen for Ghana’s recent 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers were three homegrown players: Nations FC center back Razak Simpson, Medeama SC defender Kamaradini Mamudu, and Hearts of Oak goalkeeper Benjamin Asare.

Asare, the goalkeeper for Hearts, made a compelling argument for the locals by playing both games in his debut call-up and replacing longtime first-choice Lawrence Ati-Zigi.

READ ALSO: Black Stars coach Otto Addo awaits unpaid salaries

The 32-year-old wrapped up two clean sheets when Ghana battered Chad by 5-0 in Accra on March 21 and defeated Madagascar 3-0 in Morocco three days later to top Group I.

Dr. Ogum believes the local league has untapped potential that deserves more attention from Ghana’s technical selectors.

“They [technical team] need to scout deeper and deeper in the [Ghana] league, and when they are able to do that, I’m sure they will have a backlog of locally good talented players who, when given the opportunity, can play,” Ogum said after their FA Cup triumph over True Democracy.

“To me, they shouldn’t just scout local players and go and put them on the bench. They should scout players who, when given the chance, will be able to compete.

“It is a clear indication that there are other players in the local league who, when given the necessary opportunity, the right opportunity, will also be able to showcase their talent. The Ghana Premier League has quality; people think that there is no quality in the Ghana Premier League (but) there is quality,” he said.

The four-time African champions now lead Group I with 15 points. Ghana will face Chad and Mali in their next set of qualifiers in September.

Atiwa East MP Abena Osei Asare advocates for the inclusion of more local players in the Black Stars

Honorable member of parliament for Atiwa East, Abena Osei Asare, is now advocating for the inclusion of more local players in the Black Stars team.

The MP and former deputy finance minister believes that when more local players are included in the team, it will make the Black Stars stronger than it is now. She made the statement by referring to the impact Benjamin Asare from Accra Heart of Oak has made in just two games.

READ ALSO: Antoine Semenyo Promises To Avail Him For The Black Stars

Following their significant victories over Chad and Madagascar during the March international break, the Black Stars have brought great joy to Ghanaians.

With back-to-back clean sheets, goalie Benjamin Asare impressed many. He was in the post for both games.

Only three local players made the Black Stars roster for the two games, including the Hearts of Oak goalkeeper.

Many Ghanaians, in addition to Abena Osei Asare, are demanding that more local players be given chances in the upcoming national team assignment.

Asamoah Gyan, a former captain of Ghana, has urged the Black Stars to play against Madagascar with zeal and heart.

Kickoff for tonight’s Matchday six of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers is set for 19:00 GMT, and the four-time African champions will face the Barea.

Gyan, Africa’s leading scorer at the FIFA World Cup with six goals, has pushed his teammates to go out for the win against the Malagasy team after the team’s thrilling 5-0 victory over Chad last Friday at the Accra Sports Stadium.

He also charged the team to ensure they don’t concede against their opponent.

“Let’s go one hundred per cent guys, I want Ghanaians to see you guys heckling and fighting and the result will come by itself, that’s all I want from you guys. We have great players, the talent and everything is there, that commitment, a bit, small push, we will get there,” Gyan said.

“Me and my colleagues, the technical team have confidence in you guys if not we won’t be here but the reason why we are here is just to push you just a bit to make sure you get there, that’s what we want.

“Let’s go for the kill, let’s go for the win, make sure we don’t concede if we don’t concede it’s one point, if we win it’s three points and we are there and then everybody can ease the pressure.” Asamoah Gyan said during an interaction with the players in camp,” he added.

After five matches played, Ghana are top of Group I with 12 points, two points ahead of Madagascar.

Ghana Black Stars captain Jordan Ayew has urged Ghanaians to be patient with the national team, even though there are challenges that need to be overcome.

In recent years, the Black Stars of Ghana have been struggling in all competitions, especially in the AFCON. The team used to be among the best in Africa, but now there is a lot to be worked on to win trophies and claim that title back.

READ ALSO: Former Black Stars player exposes harsh treatment

Most Ghanaians have shown their frustrations about the team suffering from back-to-back group stage exit from the AFCON in both Cameroon and Ivory Coast.

The Black Stars performed poorly in 2024, recording only 2 wins in 10 matches played, which led the team not to qualify for the 2025 AFCON.

Jordan Ayew admitted that it will take some time for Black Stars to get to where Ghanaians want it to be.

“International football has periods, and we are in a period of transition. The head coach [Otto Addo] has also come in with different ideas, so it will take time,” the Leicester City striker said.

Ghana will host Chad tonight at the Accra Sports Stadium before flying to play Madagascar on Monday in Morocco.

Official Black Stars training will take place in Luanda.

On Thursday, November 14, 2024, the Black Stars of Ghana will officially train at the Estádio 11 de Novembro in Luanda in preparation for their pivotal 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier versus Angola.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. local time.

After three successful training sessions in Accra, the Black Stars arrived in Luanda on Wednesday night as they get ready for a game they must win to maintain their prospects of qualifying. With just two points from four games, Ghana is currently in third place in Group F, behind Sudan and Angola.

So far in the qualifications, Angola has a perfect record and leads the group with 12 points. They are five points ahead of Sudan, who are in second place, and ten points ahead of Ghana. Ghana needs to win on Friday night in order to have any chance of making it to the 2025 tournament.

With the second leg of the qualifier against Niger also approaching, the Black Stars will be looking to earn a crucial three points in Luanda. Ghana’s chances of qualifying depend on both their own performance and Sudan’s performance in their remaining games.

Coach Otto Addo’s men are determined to put in a strong performance in the penultimate qualifier as they hope to earn a place in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be hosted by Morocco.