Cagliari midfielder Ibrahim Sulemana has received a call-up to the Black Stars for the upcoming international friendlies against Austria and Germany, scheduled for March 27 and 30, 2026. The selection marks a return to the National team for the defensive midfielder, who will be looking to add to his six senior caps.
Sulemana made his debut for Ghana on June 6, 2024, coming on as an 88th-minute substitute for Salis Abdul Samed in a 2-1 World Cup qualifier victory over Mali at the Stade du 26 Mars.
The 24-year-old’s most recent involvement with the National team saw him link up with his teammates in London for the 2025 Unity Cup. However, he was forced to miss the 2-1 defeat to Nigeria in the first match due to a visa complication that prevented his timely arrival in the English capital.
Currently plying his trade in Italy’s top flight, Sulemana is on loan at Serie A club Cagliari from Atalanta for the remainder of the 2025/26 season.
The move back to Cagliari comes after a difficult spell at Bologna, where he struggled for consistent first-team minutes following a permanent move from Atalanta last summer.
The midfielder is no stranger to the Sardinian club, having enjoyed a productive loan spell during the 2023/24 season. In that campaign, he made 24 appearances and scored two goals, a performance that subsequently earned him his move to Atalanta.
This season back at Cagliari, Sulemana has featured in 12 matches across all competitions, accumulating 647 minutes of playing time.
He has contributed one goal and registered one yellow card. Notably, he played the full 90 minutes in a recent 3-1 loss to SC at the Arena Garibaldi – Stadio Romeo Anconetani.
His statistical output for the season highlights his role in the engine room. In 11 Serie A appearances, he has completed 224 accurate passes, boasting a strong passing accuracy of 87.2%.
He has also delivered four accurate long balls, with a long-ball accuracy of 44.4%. His contributions extend beyond simple distribution, he has made 4 key passes and completed 8 successful dribbles. In the Coppa Italia, he featured in one match, maintaining an 85.2% passing accuracy and improving his long-ball accuracy to 66.7% with four accurate long balls.
Sulemana’s expected goals (xG) figure from his 11 league matches stands at 1.44, with an individual expected goals tally of 0.10.
He will now hope to bring that defensive solidity and composure to the Black Stars midfield as they prepare for tough tests against two of Europe’s footballing powerhouses in preparation for the World Cup 2026.
Otto Addo, the head coach of the Blackstars, is set to name his squad later this week for the two International friendlies scheduled for later this month.
The Black Stars will take on Austria on March 27 at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium, followed by a clash with Germany three days later in Stuttgart.
These matches are part of Ghana’s preparations for the World Cup in June. Following the games against Austria and Germany, the team is also expected to face Wales and Mexico in further warm-up fixtures.
Ghana are scheduled to meet Mexico in May. Ghana are in group L with England, Croatia and Panama.