Ernest Nuamah to join Black Meteors for U23 AFCON - Coach Ibrahim Tanko

Black Meteors coach Ibrahim Tanko has disclosed that Nordsjaelland forward Ernest Nuamah will be joining the team for the upcoming 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

However, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Kwadwo Opoku, and Ranford-Yeboah Königsdörffer will not be able to participate.

Nuamah, who recently made his debut for Ghana's senior national team during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar, is expected to link up with the U23 team in Rabat on Friday.

Coach Tanko acknowledged Nuamah's addition to the squad, stating, "For now, I understand Ernest Nuamah is going to join us. The rest will not be able to join, so we only have to concentrate on those who are here. We already know Ernest, and we've played with him during the qualifiers, so we know he is coming to add some quality to the team."

Despite the absence of some key players, Tanko remains confident in the team's abilities and believes they have enough quality to compete in the tournament. He expressed his hope that all the players would be in good physical condition for the competition, underscoring its significance.

Tanko further explained that although the other players were not part of the qualifiers, they were considered for their abilities. However, since they are unavailable, the team will focus on those who played in the qualifiers.

He emphasized, "The others were not with us during the qualifiers, but we felt they had qualities that could help the team. Since they are not here, we will concentrate on those we played the qualifiers with. We are 100 percent sure that the quality is enough. Let's hope that we will have all players fit for the tournament."

The Black Meteors arrived in Morocco on Wednesday to conclude their preparations for the tournament. They are set to face Congo, Morocco, and Guinea in the group stage.

JNA/FNOQ