Ghana’s preparations for the opening round of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers have suffered a fresh setback, with Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo and PAOK defender Baba Rahman both withdrawing from Carlos Queiroz’s squad within hours of each other.
The withdrawal comes despite a strong start to the Premier League season for the 26-year-old, who had scored twice and provided an assist in Manchester City’s 5-3 win over Sunderland on September 20, taking his tally for the campaign to two goals and three assists in five appearances.
Baba Rahman’s exit followed soon after. The left-back had travelled to camp in Ghana and was pictured alongside teammates Jerome Otchere and Alexander Djiku before undergoing an assessment by the Black Stars’ medical team.
He was subsequently excused after being diagnosed with a knee injury expected to keep him sidelined for around two weeks.
The pair join a growing list of absentees for the Black Stars as they enter a demanding three-match window.
Mohammed Kudus and Thomas Partey have also been ruled out through injury, forcing Queiroz to add nine fresh call-ups to his original 24-man selection in recent days.
The mounting list of unavailable players has reduced the depth the Portuguese coach had hoped to work with as he begins his tenure at the helm of the national team.
Fixture Details
- Côte d’Ivoire vs Ghana: Stade de la Paix, Bouaké Thursday, September 24, 2026
- Ghana vs The Gambia: Accra Sports Stadium, Accra Tuesday, September 29, 2026
- Morocco vs Ghana (friendly): Tangier Sunday, October 4, 2026
Ghana open their qualifying campaign away to Côte d’Ivoire before returning home to host The Gambia five days later, with the window closing against 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finalists Morocco in Tangier.
The Black Stars head into the qualifiers looking to secure a place at the 2027 tournament after failing to qualify for the previous edition, and Queiroz will now be required to identify alternatives capable of filling the creative and goalscoring roles that Semenyo and Kudus typically provide, alongside cover at left-back following Rahman’s absence.
The Ghana Football Association is expected to name replacements for the affected positions in the coming days as the technical team finalises its plans ahead of Thursday’s opening fixture.