Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo is said to have withdrawn from the Black Stars squad due to an injury he sustained before the international break.
According to a report by veteran sports journalist Michael Oti Adjei, who was privy to conversations between the player and the GFA, Semenyo made it clear that he was battling a foot injury and would not be able to feature in any of the games.
The former Bournemouth winger reportedly indicated that the reason was genuine and that he was willing to fly to Ghana for the Black Stars medical team to assess his condition and clear any doubts.
From Asamoah Gyan to John Paintsil - Check out the GFA’s restructured Technical Team
The Ghana Football Association is said to have understood the situation and granted the player his request to be excused from the national team for the September/October international break.
"He has told the Ghana Football Association that he's unable to play because of what we think is a foot injury. Now, I know what a lot of you are thinking. He played in City's game over the weekend. How can he not be fit? Well, he's already told the GFA that this is the case.
"He was willing to fly down and submit himself to an independent assessment by the Ghana Football Association to ensure that he was not just selling them a cock-and-bull story," Oti Adjei said in a video shared on X.
Black Stars coach Carlos Queiroz faces a tough task ahead, as he will be without key players, including skipper Jordan Ayew, Kudus Mohammed, Baba Rahman, Alidu Seidu, Nathaniel Adjei, and Prince Kwabena Adu for the crucial games ahead.
Ghana are scheduled to play Côte d'Ivoire in Bouaké on September 24 before welcoming The Gambia to Accra on September 29, 2026.
They will then face Morocco in an international friendly on October 4, 2026, to round off the September/October 2026 international break.
The objective is to secure positive results in the two qualifiers to put the nation in a strong position to qualify and avoid late drama in the qualification campaign once again.
Watch the video below:
More details on Antoine Semenyo's absense from the latest Afcon qualifiers . pic.twitter.com/ruT7L8BoJ6
— Michael Oti Adjei (@OtiAdjei) September 22, 2026 SB/JKB 2027 AFCONQ: Black Stars Hold First Training Session Ahead of Côte d’Ivoire Clash