Ghana head coach Otto Addo announced the Black Stars’ FIFA World Cup squad on Monday, and the likes of Thomas Partey, in-form Mohammed Kudus and the Ayew brothers give supporters hope that their side can edge past Portugal, South Korea and old foe Uruguay to escape from Group H.
However, Addo’s options have been limited by late injuries in the Black Stars camp, with key absentees threatening to derail the West Africans’ prospects.
Here are the big talking points from Ghana’s 26-man squad.
Goalkeeping catastrophe
The biggest talking point from the squad announcement is that Ghana’s key goalkeepers, Jojo Wollacott and Richard Ofori, both missed selection due to late injuries, in a disastrous twist for Addo and his staff.
Expected starter Wollacott damaged a finger in the warm-up ahead of Charlton Athletics’s League One match against Burton Albion on Saturday, and he was not selected despite initial hopes that the injury was not severe.
The Bristol-born keeper made his Black Stars debut only in October 2021, but quickly established himself as the West Africans’ No. 1 accruing 11 caps and making a series of big saves as Ghana squeaked past rivals Nigeria in March’s playoff.
“My understanding is that following surgery he will still meet up with the Ghana squad and remain a key member of their travelling party,” Charlton head coach Ben Garner told the club’s website. “Knowing Jojo as I do, he will respond to this setback with great maturity and a determination to come back even stronger.”
Wollacott had replaced Ofori as the Black Stars’ No. 1, but the Orlando Pirates keeper, who started for Ghana at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, would have been an able replacement for his younger rival had he been fit.
Ofori appeared to dispel fears that he would be sidelined due to injury when he returned to action for the MTN8 Cup final against AmaZulu on Nov. 6, but the 29-year-old, a valuable member of Ghana’s squad behind the scenes, appeared to sustain a knee injury and was not risked by Addo after he subsequently played no part in the Pirates’ preparations for last Saturday’s Carling Black Label Cup final.
This leaves Addo with an unenviable decision for Ghana’s kick-off against Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal on Nov. 24.
Lawrence Ati-Zigi and Abdul Manaf Nurudeen will battle for the starting role, with home-based Danlad Ibrahim the third-choice, although none of the trio have considerable international experience.
Ati-Zigi, of Swiss side St. Gallen, has 10 caps but conceded four goals in June’s Kirin Cup defeat by Japan, while Belgium-based Nurudeen has just two caps after making his debut only in January.
One suspects Ronaldo, Luis Suarez and Son Heung-Min will be licking their lips.
Baba leaves a chasm in midfield
Mallorca‘s Iddrisu Baba, who had been primed to start as the Black Stars’ first-choice defensive midfielder, was the other late injury omission from the squad.
The 26-year-old’s tireless work, intercepting and tackling have been crucial in allowing the likes of Partey and Kudus to press forward and express themselves, but he misses the World Cup after limping out of Mallorca’s victory over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday with a muscle injury.
“At least we tried,” the midfielder tweeted after his omission was confirmed, although he added “was just seven days” — suggesting that he believed he could have recovered for the tournament.
Addo may find himself short of natural successors, with Gent ‘s Elisha Owusu — not at the same level as Baba — one such option.
Uncapped Samed gets the call
Lens‘ Salis Abdul Samed, one of three uncapped players to have been included, is another potential candidate to replace Baba in the starting XI.
Calls for Samed to be given a maiden cap during the September window, following fine form in Ligue 1, were ignored, and thus the 22-year-old was a surprise inclusion in the final squad for Qatar.
However, on form, there can be few qualms that he deserves selection, having played an influential role in Lens’ outstanding start to the season as they sit second heading into the World Cup break.
Samed offers more on the ball than the injured Baba — he ranks among the 10 most accurate passers in Ligue 1 this season — having been at the heart of Lens’ excellent run, but no player in the division averages more fouls per match.
If Samed can replicate his club form on the grandest stage, then perhaps Baba won’t be missed.
