Ghana is likely to be without influential Jonathan Mensah in its opening 2017 AFCON qualifier over a four-month ban handed the defender.

The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) handed the ban to the Ghanaian after ruling that his move to Evian TG from Udinese in 2011 was illegal.

Mensah joined the French club as a free agent but CAS has ruled he was still under contract with Udinese.

Evian TG have consequently been fined a million Euros to be paid to Udinese as compensation while Mensah had been handed a worldwide football ban.

The punishment which takes effect from April 29 and expires at the end of August means the defender is ruled out of Ghana’s opening 2017 AFCON qualifier against Mauritius on June 14.

This served as a double blow to Mensah whose Evian TG were relegated from the French top flight on Saturday.

CAS are however yet to send official notice of Mensah’s ban to the Ghana FA.