Breaking News: Hughton reveals final Ghana squad for crucial AFCON qualifier

Chris Hughton finally names Black Stars squad for Ghana vs. Central African Republic 2023 AFCON Qualifiers match

 

Ghana coach Chris Hughton has named his 25-man squad for the 2023 AFCON qualifier against Central African Republic. Find out who made the cut and who missed out.

Chris Hughton, the head coach of the Ghana national team, has announced his final 25-man squad for the upcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Central African Republic on September 7, 2023. The match will be played at the Estadio 11 De November in Luanda, Angola, as a neutral venue due to the lack of an approved stadium in Central African Republic.

The Black Stars are currently leading Group E with nine points from four matches, having won three and drawn one. They are followed by Angola with seven points, Central African Republic with four points and Madagascar with one point. A win or a draw for Ghana will secure their qualification to the 2023 AFCON finals in Ivory Coast.

Hughton has made some changes to his squad from the previous match against Madagascar, which Ghana won 3-0 at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium on June 1, 2022. He has recalled Bristol City forward Antoine Semenyo, who missed the last game due to injury. Semenyo scored his debut goal for Ghana against Angola in March 2022.

However, Hughton will be without some key players for the Central African Republic clash. AS Monaco defender Mohammed Salisu has been ruled out due to a hamstring injury, while deputy captain Thomas Partey and centre-back Alexander Djiku are also unavailable due to personal reasons. Goalkeeper Richard Ofori is also sidelined with a hamstring injury and has been replaced by Asante Kotoko's Ibrahim Danlad.

The only two home-based players in the initial list, Daniel Afriyie Barnieh and Augustine Okrah, have been dropped from the squad for unknown reasons. However, defender Dennis Korsah of Ebusua Dwarfs has been handed a late call-up to join the team.

The full squad is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Ibrahim Danlad (Asante Kotoko), Lawrence Ati-Zigi (FC St. Gallen), Razak Abalora (Tanzania Prisons)

Defenders: Andy Yiadom (Reading), Gideon Mensah (Vitoria Guimaraes), Jonathan Mensah (Columbus Crew), Joseph Aidoo (Celta Vigo), Nicholas Opoku (Amiens), Dennis Korsah (Ebusua Dwarfs), Baba Rahman (Chelsea)

Midfielders: Mubarak Wakaso (Jiangsu Suning), Alfred Duncan (Fiorentina), Iddrisu Baba (Real Mallorca), Emmanuel Lomotey (Amiens), Mohammed Kudus (Ajax Amsterdam), Osman Bukari (Gent)

Forwards: Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace), Andre Ayew (Swansea City), Samuel Owusu (Al-Fayha), Tarique Fosu-Henry (Brentford), Kwame Opoku (USM Alger), Caleb Ekuban (Trabzonspor), John Antwi (Pyramids FC), Antoine Semenyo (Bristol City)

Hughton will be hoping to guide the Black Stars to their eighth consecutive AFCON appearance and end their 40-year trophy drought. He took over as the head coach of Ghana in February 2023, following the resignation of Otto Addo after the disappointing performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where Ghana finished bottom of Group H with one win from three matches.

Hughton is a former player and manager of England, Ireland and several clubs in Europe. He is most known for leading Brighton & Hove Albion to promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their history in 2017. He was sacked by Nottingham Forest in September 2021 after a poor start to the season.

The match between Ghana and Central African Republic will kick off at 16:00 GMT on Tuesday, September 7, 2023. It will be broadcast live on ESPN and GHANAsoccernet.com. Stay tuned for more updates and analysis on this crucial encounter.