Tottenham forward Mohammed Kudus, back after a long injury, and AS Monaco defender Mohammed Salisu have joined the Black Stars, who sit on 0 points after two defeats before their double-header against Somalia.
The Black Stars have welcomed two players to their training camp: Mohammed Kudus, the Tottenham Hotspur forward, and Mohammed Salisu, the AS Monaco defender. Both arrived ahead of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers, GhanaWeb reports. The former returns to the national team after a long absence due to injury.
Their arrival comes in a tense context. Ghana face Somalia on 12 November at the Essipong Stadium, then again on 16 November for the return leg. The Black Stars have 0 points from two matches and are up against the wall in their group.
Two defeats to start
According to Sport 365 and GhanaWeb, the Ghanaian national team lost their first two matches of these qualifiers, against Gambia and then against Ivory Coast. No points taken, and an already delicate position in the race for qualification for AFCON 2027.
The arrival of Kudus and Salisu widens the coach’s options. Still, arriving at camp does not mean a starting place: nothing in the available information suggests that the Tottenham forward or the Monaco defender will start against Somalia.
Björkegren recalls Jordan Ayew
The squad has also seen a change on the bench. Kim Lars Björkegren, appointed interim head coach last month in place of Carlos Queiroz, has recalled Jordan Ayew, the forward absent since a groin injury, Sport 365 reports. This recall adds to the returns of Kudus and Salisu.
Björkegren’s interim spell therefore plays out against Somalia, in a context of urgency: Ghana have yet to get off the mark in these qualifiers.
Essipong the first appointment
The dates are known: Ghana – Somalia on 12 November at the Essipong Stadium, then Somalia – Ghana on 16 November. The Black Stars, on 0 points, must take points from this first meeting.
On GhanaWeb, Salisu’s return was greeted with a message: “Good to see you again, Mohammed Salisu!”