Ghana’s national football team, the Black Stars, are gearing up for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023, eager to overcome recent disappointments on the continental stage. Under the guidance of manager Chris Hughton, the team faces a tough group-stage clash with Egypt, presenting an opportunity to redeem themselves after a humiliating group-stage exit in the previous edition.
With just a few more days to go until the upcoming AFCON 2023 coach Chris Hughton has just announced the final squad that will represent Ghana in the tournament and travel to Ivory Coast in the hope to win the Cup.
That is to say, Ghana enters the tournament in less-than-ideal form, having suffered defeats in October friendlies against Mexico and the United States. Their only victory came in November’s World Cup qualifying match against Madagascar, but they followed it up with another defeat to Comoros. The team must find its rhythm and inspiration as they prepare for the upcoming challenges.
Black Stars Squad
Despite the challenges, Ghana boasts a squad brimming with talent and experience. The Ayew brothers, Andre and Jordan, bring a wealth of international experience with overall over 200 caps between them. In attack, the responsibility to lift a shot-shy offense falls on the shoulders of Inaki Williams, who has been in good form for Athletic Bilbao in La Liga.
Unfortunately midfield dynamo Thomas Partey will miss the AFCON 2023 and is not part of the squad. The Arsenal midfielder has been side-lined since October with a thigh injury. This leaves a void in the heart of the team and furthermore could be significant for Ghana’s AFCON campaign. The burden of creative responsibility falls now on other key players, most notably West Ham playmaker Mohammed Kudus. The latter is in superb form for West Ham and therefore currently arguably Ghana’s best player. he will play a pivotal role in Ghana’s performance
Other players that will sadly miss the tournament are Baba Rahman, Tariq Lamptey, Kamaldeen Sulemana as well as Edmund Addo.
Lastly, Hughton has included three players from the local league into the squad. Richmond Lamptey, midfielder from Asante Kotoko, will join the team on their journey to Ivory Coast along with Fatawu Hamidu and moreover Jonathan Sowah, both playing for Medeama.
The following players build the overall 27-man strong Ghana squad for Africa Cup of Nations 2023:
Goalkeepers
- Richard Ofori (Orlando Pirates, South Africa)
- Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St. Gallen, Switzerland)
- Joe Wollacott (Hibernian, Scotland)
Defenders
- Daniel Amartey (Besiktas, Türkiye)
- Alexander Djiku (Fenerbahce, Türkiye)
- Gideon Mensah (Auxerre, France)
- Nicholas Opoku (Amiens, France)
- Alidu Seidu (Clermont, France)
- Denis Odoi (Club Brugge, Belgium)
- Mohammed Salisu (Monaco, France)
- Kingsley Schindler (Samsunspor, Türkiye)
- Abdul Fatawu Hamidu (Medeama, Ghana)
Midfielders
- Andre Ayew (Le Havre, France), who is the captain of the Ghana Squad during the AFCON 2023
- Mohammed Kudus (West Ham, England)
- Iddrisu Baba (Mallorca, Spain)
- Salis Abdul Samed (Lens, France)
- Elisha Owusu (Auxerre, France)
- Majeed Ashimeru (Anderlecht, Belgium)
- Ransford-Yeboah Konigsdorffer (Hamburg, Germany)
- Richmond Lamptey (Asante Kotoko, Ghana)
Forwards
- Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth, England)
- Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao, Spain)
- Jonathan Sowah (Medeama, Ghana)
Wingers
- Osman Bukari (Red Star Belgrade, Serbia)
- Joseph Paintsil (Genk, Belgium)
- Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace, England)
- Ernest Nuamah (Lyon, France)
Let’s kick off!
Ghana’s AFCON journey is set to kick off with a clash against Cape Verde on 14 January 2024, followed by encounters with Egypt on 18 January 2024 and then Mozambique on 22 January 2024. Especially the game against Egypt is a crucial group-stage clash.
So, mark these 3 group game dates in your diary, watch the games live and don’t forget to place your AFCON bets at PrideBet. You can place your bets either pre-match or then live while the game is already on. various markets are available.
- Sunday, 14 January 2024: Ghana vs Cape Verde
- Thursday, 18 January 2024: Egypt vs Ghana
- Monday, 22 January 2024: Mozambique vs Ghana
Let’s hope that the AFCON 2023 will be a successful campaign for the Black Stars and they can recapture the success of the past. Our hopes are on the 27 men in the Ghana squad to end a four-decade wait for another AFCON title. The team must harness its talent as well as experience to navigate the challenges ahead. With former Newcastle and Brighton boss Chris Hughton at the helm and a squad filled with seasoned campaigners, the Black Stars aim to rediscover their winning formula and bring back the glory days to Ghanaian football.
