The 25-man roster for Ghana's pivotal 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Angola and Niger, which are set for later this month, has been revealed by Black Stars head coach Otto Addo. The news was made Thursday at the Ghana Football Association's Conference Room, according to a report by Adomonline. However, several important players will not be included in the squad, including defender Mohammed Salisu of AS Monaco and midfielder Thomas Partey of Arsenal.
Partey, who was absent from Ghana's previous qualifiers against Sudan, was cut from the team for reasons that are only partially known, but Addo acknowledged that he had spoken with the player directly about the situation. "Partey, who had hoped to be part of the squad, was informed about the reasons for his omission," Addo said in a statement. Addo stated, "He wanted to come, but I made it quite clear why he's not coming," highlighting his strategy of protecting his players while maintaining the privacy of internal affairs.
In addition, Addo had contemplated making Partey the team's captain, a position that is currently held by Jordan Ayew when the midfielder is not present. Three Ghana Premier League players, Razak Simpson of Nations FC, Emmanuel Antwi of Asante Kotoko, and Isaac Afful of FC Samartex, are also included in the group. They will all be hoping to have an effect on the forthcoming matches.
With experienced players like Jordan Ayew, Inaki Williams, Mohammed Kudus, and Alexander Djiku all selected to play crucial roles, the team is still formidable even without important players like Partey. Currently in third place with only two points from four games, the Black Stars are in a vulnerable position in Group F. In order to maintain their chances of making it to the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, Ghana must defeat Angola in Luanda on November 15 and Niger at home on November 18.
These pivotal matches now determine the team's route to qualifying as the group stage draws to a close. Ghana will also need positive outcomes from the other teams in the group to have a shot at moving forward.