Sports News of 2026-09-23
No player has intentionally refused to play for Black Stars – Kurt Okraku
President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Okraku, has dismissed suggestions that the growing number of Black Stars withdrawals ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers could be linked to players deliberately avoiding national team duty.
Several key players have become unavailable for Ghana’s upcoming qualifiers against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia, including Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo, Baba Rahman, Alidu Seidu and captain Jordan Ayew.
The withdrawals have raised questions among supporters about whether the absences are solely injury-related or whether other factors could be involved.
However, Okraku insists there is no hidden agenda, stressing that the players genuinely have injury concerns.
Speaking on Asempa FM, the GFA president said no Ghanaian player has deliberately turned down an invitation to represent the Black Stars during his tenure.
Black Stars Withdrawals: Genuine injuries, club pressure or something deeper?
“Quite a number of our players are injured. No Ghanaian player intentionally did not want to play for Ghana since I started serving as the FA president,” Okraku said.
His comments come as Carlos Queiroz prepares for his first competitive matches since returning as Black Stars head coach.
Ghana will face Côte d’Ivoire on September 24 before hosting The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on September 29, 2026.
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