The first international break of 2023 will see Black Stars take on Angola in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Some players are currently nursing injuries and might not recover in time for the qualifiers in March 2023.
New Black Stars manager, Chris Hughton is expected to name his squad for the doubleheader in the final week of March 2023.
Ghana will host Angola at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on March 23 before they travel for the second leg four days later.
The Black Stars are tied at the top of Group E with Angola with four points each.
Here are players who would miss the games
Tariq Lamptey
Tariq Lamptey is doubtful for Ghana’s games against Angola are low due to an injury he suffered during Brighton and Hove Albion’s win over West Ham United.
The right-back was substituted on the 16-minute after what is believed to be a knee problem.
Brighton coach Roberto De Zerbi said, “It’s not a big problem. It’s a small injury.”
Daniel Kofi Kyere
Unlike Lamptey, Freiburg midfielder, Daniel Kofi is ruled out of the game after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
His season is over and thus will not be available for the doubleheader.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has announced the Baba Yara Stadium will be temporarily closed until Ghana’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Angola is played.
The Black Stars face Angola in their first official task since the end of the World Cup in Qatar where they exited in the group stage. It will also be the first task of Chris Hughton as the team’s head coach since taking over.
With the game set to be played at the Baba Yara Stadium, the venue has been made unavailable for domestic competitions until after the qualifier game.
A statement on the GFA website read: “The Baba Yara Sports stadium pitch will not be available for domestic competitions until after Ghana’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Angola.
“The Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ghana Football Association and the National Sports Authority reached the decision during a meeting on Wednesday
“The decision is to give managers of the pitch ample time to further improve the quality of pitch for Ghana’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Angola.”
Following the announcement from the GFA, the National Sports Authority (NSA), has also revealed the closure is to enable them to work on the pitch to make it ready for use when the Black Stars play Angola.
Meanwhile Chris Hughton has hit the ground running by submitting to the General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) his squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Angola.
The UK-based coach spent the weekend monitoring some of his players in England but the Communications Director of the FA, Henry Asante Twum, confirmed to the Graphic Sports yesterday that the squad was ready and would be released upon the arrival of the 64-year-old Hughton who was appointed national coach last month.
The Fa spokesperson said the invited players and their clubs have already been notified and are expected to abide by the 14-day rule by FIFA for their release for the double header qualifiers.
“He has already submitted the list. A few days to the game, you need to notify the clubs, so for the list, you can send it one month ahead of the game,” Mr Twum said.
Until his appointment, Hughton played the role of Technical Advisor to his predecessor Otto Addo and was a key member of the Black Stars technical team in their 2022 World Cup qualifying playoffs with Nigeria and subsequently for the FIFA World Cup tournament in Qatar.
Source: Pak MediaGh.com
