Leicester City winger, Fatawu Issahaku and PAOK left-back, Baba Rahman will not be included in Ghana’s final squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations which will be held in Ivory Coast.

Ahead of the announcement of the Black Stars squad on Monday, 01 January 2024, it has been confirmed that both players have asked to be excused from the team.

Baba Rahman, it is understood is in the process of recovering from injury and has thus asked to be allowed to focus on his club career as he bids to enjoy consistent football at the club level,

According to Saddick Adams of Angel Broadcasting Network, Issahaku asked to be excluded from the team because it would affect his bid to establish himself at Leicester City in the Championship.

“Per his loan agreement at Leicester, there’s a clause that requires Fatawu Issahaku to meet a threshold of matches to secure a permanent stay with the English side.

“The AFCON will mean he misses a good number of games, the reason he’s opted out of the Ghana squad,” Saddick Adams tweeted.

Commenting on Issahaku’s chances of playing at the AFCON, Leicester City coach said "We are still waiting for the federations' answer. We will see if we can have them available for the next game," says Maresca.

Issahaku has impressed with two goals and 7 assists in 21 Championship appearances for Leicester this season.

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations is slated to begin on January 12, 2014 and climax on February 11, 2023.

Ghana have been drawn in Group B alongside, Egypt, Cape Verde and Mozambique.

The Black Stars will camp in Kumasi ahead of the tournament.