Ghanaian attacker Antoine Semenyo has withdrawn from the Black Stars squad ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

According to multiple reports, Semenyo has asked the technical team to excuse him from the squad for the September/October international break.

It has been reported that the player made the decision to focus on properly recovering from an ankle injury that has been troubling him for some time.

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This comes as a blow to head coach Carlos Queiroz, who will be without some of his key players, including Tottenham Hotspur attacker Kudus Mohammed, who also withdrew from the squad due to similar injury concerns.

Meanwhile, Semenyo recently scored a brace when Manchester City defeated Sunderland 5-3 in the Premier League to move to the top of the table.

Ghana’s quest to qualify for the 2027 AFCON has come under scrutiny following the withdrawal of several key players. However, nine additional players have been called up to replace those who have withdrawn from the squad.

Ghana are scheduled to play Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké on September 24 before welcoming The Gambia to Accra on September 29, 2026.

They will then face Morocco in an international friendly on October 4, 2026, to round off the September/October 2026 international break.

The objective is to record positive results in the two qualifiers to put the nation in a strong position to secure qualification and avoid late drama in the qualifiers once again.

SB/JKB

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