2025 AFCON Qualifiers: Ghana Calls 25 Players to Face Akwasi Appiah-led Sudan
Head Coach of the Black Stars, Otto Addo has named 25 players for the first and second legs of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations tournament qualifier against the Falcons of Jediane.
They include three goalkeepers, nine defensive players, five midfielders and eight forwards.
The players are Lawrence Ati-Zigi, Joseph Wollacot, Frederick Asare, Tariq Lamptey, Kingsley Schindler, Alexander Djiku, Abdul Mumin, Mohammed Salisu, Jerome Opoku, Alisu Seidu, Gideon Mensah, Isaac Afful, Thomas Partey, Ibrahim Sulemana and Majeed Ashimeru.
The rest are Elisha Owusu, Mohammed Kudus, Ibrahim Osman, Ernest Nuamah, Issahaku Fatawu, Antoine Semenyo, Jordan Ayew, Joseph Paintsil, Brandon Thomas-Asante and Inaki Williams.
The first leg against the team led by Ghanaian coach James Kwesi Appiah will be played at the Accra Sports Stadium on Thursday, October 10, 2024.
Ghana is currently third in Group F with just one point from a loss and a draw creating uncertainty around their qualification for the tournament.
The Black Stars lost their opening qualifier by 1-0 to Angola at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium and drew 1-1 against Niger in their second game.
With the third round a few days ahead, Otto Addo is looking for nothing short of a win against Sudan in both legs despite his respect for them.
“There is no way we will underrate them. They are very very good…They are leading their World Cup Group with 10 points. We are very much aware of their ability…We have good footballers and we have better footballers than them so we have to win this game. We are under pressure but we have to win,” he told the press on October 4 while unveiling his selection of players for the game.
He believes one aspect of his team that needs to be worked on is defensive discipline and the conscious recognition of seniority at the expense of the collective goal.
“We need to improve our defensive discipline not to concede goals. It comes with certain attitudes with the players and it is my responsibility to teach the players to be very discipline and to think not only about themselves but others. This is something I have to regulate and it’s a normal thing in Ghanaian culture especially when there are senior players.
“It’s very important that after the game we stick to our tradition where we have respect for elderly people and the senior players and so on. On the pitch, I want everyone to be demanding, to shout, to criticize in a positive way and demand a certain attitude from each and every player.”
After Thursday’s game, the Black Stars will travel to Libya for the second leg scheduled for Tuesday, October 15, 2024.
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
