Alexander Djiku, a Turkish defender, left the Black Stars before the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifications.
This week, the Black Stars finish their qualifying matches against bottom-rock Niger and Angola, who have already qualified.
Before hosting Niger in the Accra Sports Stadium on November 18, 2024, Ghana will travel to Luanda to play the Palancas Negras on November 15.
Djiku, who was first included in the 25-man roster for the forthcoming matches, has withdrawn, nevertheless, due to a worsening of an already-existing hamstring issue.
When Fenerbache thrashed Sivasspor in the Turkish first division on Sunday, the former Strasbourg defender was substituted out.
“It’s an aggravation of an existing hamstring that got him substituted in their last game on Sunday, November 10, 2024,” the Ghana FA said in a statement.
On Monday night, the West African superpower will begin getting ready for the next game.
Due to their lackluster performance in the qualifying series, the Black Stars are in danger of missing out on the AFCON for the first time in 20 years.
After four games, Ghana has suffered a terrible AFCON qualifying campaign, losing two and drawing two. They are now third in the standings going into the last round of games this month, having only managed two points.
To maintain their prospects of qualifying for the tournament in Morocco the following year, the Black Stars must now defeat Angola and Niger, who have already qualified, and hope that Sudan loses to these same opponents.
Important members of the Black Stars technical staff were involved in a car accident earlier today while traveling from Tarkwa back to Accra, according to the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
The Black Stars coaches accident happened following the team’s formal assignment, which involved watching FC Samartex 1996 vs. Nsoatreman FC in the Champion of Champions match.
Head coach Otto Addo, assistant coach John Paintsil, and goalkeepers trainer Fatawu Dauda were in the Land Cruiser, which had the license plate GR 6521-21, when a pickup truck abruptly pulled into their lane.
Although there was considerable damage to the car, a potentially disastrous head-on accident was avoided because of the driver’s prompt action.
The three members of the coaching staff are all in stable condition, the GFA is happy to announce. They will go through additional medical testing to make sure they are healthy as a precaution when they return to Accra.
The organization is hopeful that the technical staff will be fit and ready to guide the Black Stars in their forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches against Niger and Angola.
As the team gets ready for these important games, the GFA thanks the public for their outpouring of concern and support and asks for ongoing prayers.
Stephen Frimpong Manso, a former Ghana international, has provided a somber account of the circumstances Black Stars players endured in the 1990s.
The former Bibiani Gold Stars coach opened up about the unpleasant realities of subpar facilities, subpar living arrangements, and terrible management during training camps in a recent interview with Joy Sports.
Manso, who played for Ghana from 1987 to 1994, drew attention to the striking difference in how the Black Stars and their opponents were treated.
He particularly singled out former coach Burkhard Ziese for his efforts in improving player welfare.
“Sometimes we will be playing like we are playing, let’s say, Ivory Coast. They will be staying at a five-star hotel…but the home team, rather, are not treated well. The conditions in Winneba at that time, everybody knew it wasn’t the best,” Manso said.
The former player mentioned an instance in which money intended for players was misappropriated when accusing officials of mismanaging club finances.
Manso claimed that Ziese played a key role in resolving these problems and guaranteeing improved circumstances for the players.
On June 11, 2024, Ghana Football Association President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku led a delegation of officials, Black Stars players, and technical staff members visited the “Heal Komfo Anokye” project, spearheaded by Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
They offered compassion and affection to patients at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), encouraging and wishing them a speedy recovery.
The visit also allowed the GFA President and his entourage to witness and get firsthand information on the health facility’s rising issues.
The team’s visit comes after Ghana’s stunning 4-3 triumph over Central African Republic (CAR) in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Monday, June 10, 2024, at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, which propelled the country to the top of Group I.
Top officials from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital escorted the players and authorities on a tour of the institution, meeting with patients in a heartwarming manner.
Okraku acknowledged the enormous issues that healthcare in Ghana faces, expressing his personal experiences after recently visiting three additional hospital facilities, stating that the team has been moved by what they have observed.
“If you’ve had the chance to visit any health facility in Ghana, you will fully understand the situation in which we find ourselves as a country. Prior to these two games, I paid a visit to three medical facilities including the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital maternity ward, Maamobi Polyclinic and Madina Hospital. I left those facilities with different perspectives of life,” Okraku revealed.
“You had situations where mothers with fresh babies couldn’t go home because they could not afford to pay as little as Ghc200.” he reflected soberly.
The GFA President pledged the commitment of the Football Association to supporting the renovation of the biggest hospital in the Ashanti Region using the GFA Foundation as a vehicle to offer critically needed help.
“I think all the players and technical staff, who are all here, have heard the message. On behalf of the entire team, I want to assure you of our commitment towards honouring the call by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. Everybody here is naturally an ambassador. We have our images as a potential avenue for use in supporting such a worthy course. We’ll never know who will be a beneficiary of this facility in future. It can be our good selves, families and friends amongst others. We have a lot of footballers who have used these facilities and continue to use them.
“We appreciate the call from Otumfuo, our father. He’s always been there for us whenever we have needed him. He has been our spiritual head. He has attended a lot of our games and he’s an icon we all look up to.”
“Through the GFA Foundation, we will play our part and the message will pierce through the hearts of many. This is a firm commitment that we’ll offer to this clarion call by Otumfuo. Actions, they say, speak louder than words, and football will speak with a much louder voice. Our presence here confirms our commitment. We’ll confirm and affirm our support to the project, in due course.” he concluded.
Coach Otto Addo of the Black Stars has stirred controversy with his audacious choice to restructure his team. He chose to bench experienced captain André Morgan Rami Ayew in favor of bringing in a new generation of youthful, explosive players.
Given the team’s recent transitional phase, the inclusion of young prospects like Antoine Semenyo and Mohammed Kudus was not completely surprising. However, the omission of Ayew, who had a stellar season for Le Havre in the French Ligue 1, scoring six goals in 20 games, has sparked discussion about the coach’s unexpected and calculated move.
It’s true that the team has been through a transition over the past two years, with new players like Inaki Williams, Antoine Semenyo, and Mohammed Kudus of West Ham United coming to the forefront. As a result, the coach’s decision to lean on youth in his most recent 27-man squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic (CAR) would not have created much of a stir.
His choice to exclude Ayew, who had a breakout season in club football after contributing an assist for Le Havre in the French Ligue 1 and scoring six goals in 20 games across all competitions, raised eyebrows and caused controversy.
In response to this divisive decision, Addo emphasized that Ayew, 34,’s exclusion did not signal the end of his
acknowledges the veteran’s noteworthy services to the national team during his 17-year career, which has seen him make a record 120 appearances for Ghana since making his debut in August 2007.
The decision marks a departure from the traditional reliance on experience to guide young players, reflecting the coach’s vision for the team’s future as he embarks on a second stint as national coach under a 34-month contract.
A building project owned by Black Stars player Richard Kissi Boateng was bulldozed at Kasoa Millennium City by some purported land guards.
The former defender for Liberty Professionals and TP Mazembe claimed to have purchased property in Kasoa Millennium City that was adjacent to a mosque.
He claimed that he gave some members of the community use of a portion of his land for their Eid celebrations because he wasn’t ready to build on the property yet.
He clarified that he had to construct a wall around his property since the locals had later begun to claim ownership of the area.
Boateng went on to say that the land guards destroyed the wall and threatened to have him rebuild it, even though he had reported the incident to the police.
“My project is close to a mosque, but I moved to the area and completed the project before they built the mosque. When they first moved there, they needed a place to celebrate Salah (Eid festivities), and I offered my place,” the footballer told Ghanaweb. “That continued for some time and they used to have prayer sessions there until they started claiming ownership of the land. Due to the way things were progressing, I decided to build a fence wall around it, but whenever I went there, I was confronted by one Illiasu, who claimed that they were now the owners of the land. “I took the issue to the Kasoa Millennium Police, and we have been litigating it for over eight months. The police conducted a search at the Lands Commission and discovered that the land was registered in the name of 21st Century Real Estate, and they were the only ones who could prevent me from developing the land. I received permission from 21st Century to develop the land, so I built the fence wall.” In the early hours the following day, they sent young men to destroy the new fence wall we had constructed, but we managed to apprehend one of the boys, who identified Illiasu as the one who sent them. The police were in the process of prosecuting the case until Ndego also appeared at the station, making some claims. “Upon seeing me at the station, Ndego warned me against reconstructing the wall, threatening that if I did, they would demolish it again. He claimed he thought the landguards had given me the land, but what he doesn’t know is that I purchased it from the chiefs.”
Goalkeeper Frederick Asare of Asante Kotoko has stated that he wants to return Black Stars head coach Otto Addo’s trust.
After being called up to the Black Stars squad for the forthcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Asare expressed his thanks and delight to the Kotoko media in an interview.
On June 6 and June 10, respectively, Ghana will play the Central African Republic at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, and Mali in Bamako.
Asare is the only Ghana Premier League player named in the 26-man squad for the qualifiers, and the former Accra Lions player is eager to prove himself.
“We have good goalkeepers. For me to be called to the national team and also his compliments to me is a great achievement to me and I’m truly happy.”
“For me to represent my country, it’s a dream come true. Going forward, I also have to do my best and repay the coach’s trust in me,” Asare said.
This season, Asare has made 17 league appearances for the Porcupine Warriors, having won the starting spot from veteran Danlad Ibrahim.
According to a statement from the Ghana FA, the Black Stars of Ghana will allow the public and media access to their training sessions as they prepare for two crucial FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic.
On Friday, May 31, 2024, the team will start getting ready in Legon’s brand-new University of Ghana Stadium.
This initiates a phase of intense training targeted at improving team cohesiveness and strategy optimization prior to the pivotal matches.
The Black Stars are under pressure to impress after earning three points from their opening two matches in the qualifying round.
The significance of the forthcoming matches has increased due to their defeat by Comoros in the second game, which will have a major effect on their prospects of making it to the USA, Canada, and Mexico in the 2026 World Cup.
The Ghana FA has stated that the first training session on Friday will be open to the public and media in an effort to promote transparency and interact with supporters.
As the national team gets ready for these crucial matches, enthusiasm and support are anticipated to grow from this decision.
The Black Stars will conduct a five-day training camp in Accra before heading to Bamako on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, for their vital Group I clash against Mali.
The open training session is an opportunity for fans and journalists to witness firsthand the team’s preparations and spirit as they aim to secure their place on the global stage.
GHANA FORWARD ERNEST NUAMAH APOLOGISES FOR BLACK METEORS POOR PERFORMANCE
Nordsjaellad Star Ernest Nuamah has released an apology letter to Ghanaians for the disappointing performance of the Black Meteors at the 2023 U23 AFCON tournament.
The team suffered an incidental exit failing to achieve their mark of qualifying for the Olympic Games (Paris) next year.
He started, “No excuses, but our performances as a group were below expectations. But I could have done better to help the team. As a group, if we ever have the opportunity again, Ghana deserves better”.
He continue and said, “I made some wrong decisions but I am grateful for this opportunity”.
Black Meteors’ ineptitude to reach the planned goal for qualifying has sparked discussion and calls for reflection within the football community.
Black Meteors won their first game against Congo 3 – 2, with Nuamah on target, but were thrashed 5-1 by Morocco and a 1-1 draw with Guinea confirmed their elimination
OFFICIAL: ASAMOAH GYAN ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT FROM FOOTBALL.
Asamoah Gyan announced his retirement from football at the age of 37 in a press statement released today Tuesday, 20th June, 2023.
Gyan began his career in 2003 with Ghanaian Premier League club Liberty Professionals and then spent three seasons with Serie A club Udinese which he spend three seasons via two seasons, In 2008, Gyan joined Ligue 1 club Rennes for two season.
On 31 August 2010, Gyan signed for Premier League club Sunderland on a four-year deal for a club record £13 million,however he joined Al Ain of the UAE Pro-League on loan in 2011 and became the league’s top-goalscorer, scoring 24 goals in 27 matches.
Gyan is the all-time leading goalscorer for the Ghana national team, with 51 goals, also top African goalscorer in the history of the World Cup with 6 goals.
