Ghana left out Arsenal’s Thomas Partey and Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey from their 27-man squad named on Monday for the Africa Cup of Nations finals in neighbouring Ivory Coast, which kick off later this month. Partey’s absence is due to his ongoing recovery from a hamstring injury, as explained by Ghana coach Chris Hughton, who stated, “Withstanding his injury, he certainly would be in the squad. We know the quality of player that he is. This is a player who has a substantial injury.” Hughton emphasized the importance of providing support during this challenging period and shared his engagement with Thomas and Arsenal’s medical staff.
Regarding Lamptey, who sustained an injury playing for Brighton in November, manager Roberto de Zerbi had previously mentioned he would be out for a “significant period.” In a positive development, Ghana has included Andre Ayew in the squad, marking his record-equaling eighth appearance in the Cup of Nations tournament since 2008. Ayew has been a consistent participant in every edition, except for the 2013 tournament.
Ghana, a four-time winner of the competition, is placed in Group B for the Cup of Nations. Their campaign kicks off with a match against Cape Verde on January 14, followed by encounters with Egypt and Mozambique.
Ghana squad:
Goalkeepers: Lawrence Ati-Zigi, Richard Ofori, and Joe Wollacott
Defenders: Daniel Amartey, Alexander Djiku, Abdul Fatawu Hamid, Gideon Mensah, Denis Odoi, Nicholas Opoku, Mohammed Salisu , Kingsley Schindler, and Alidu Seidu
Midfielders: Majeed Ashimeru, Osman Bukari, Baba Iddrisu, Ransford Koningsdorffer, Mohammed Kudus (West Ham United), Richmond Lamptey, Elisha Owusu, Joseph Paintsil, Salis Abdul Samed
Forwards: Andre Ayew (Le Havre), Jordan Ayew, Ernest Nuamah, Antoine Semenyo, Jonathan Sowah, and Inaki Williams.