Akonnor to include ex-Lyon midfielder in squad for AFCON qualifier with Sudan

Ghana head coach Charles Akonnor will include former Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Elisha Owusu in his 24-man squad for next month’s AFCON qualifier against Sudan, according to Sunyani-based Nimdi3 FM.

The new Black Stars coach flown to Belgium to hold a meeting with the defensive midfielder who plays for KAA Gent in the Jupiler League.

Owusu, 22, had previously met with Akonnor’s predecessor Kwasi Appiah who was told to hold on with plans to invite him into his squad for the double-header against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe.

The 1,82 m midfielder holds both Ghanaian and French passports and eligible to represent either countries but has finally opted to play for the four-time AFCON winners.

Owusu grew through the youth ranks at Lyonnais and appeared on the bench of the French giants in September 2017 in a game that ended 3-3.

He went on to make 33 league appearances for Sochaux in the Ligue 2 in a loan spell before completing a €1.25m switch to Belgian giants Gent.

Owusu’s pending call up would come as no surprise to most Ghanaian fans who have gotten wind of the news that Akonnor has plans of gradually phasing out most of the old faces from the Black Stars.