The Ghana senior national team have been dealt a huge blow following a series of withdrawals from some key players invited for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo, Tottenham Hotspur forward Mohammed Kudus and former Chelsea defender Baba Rahman have all withdrawn from the squad called up by head coach Carlos Queiroz.

According to reports, Semenyo, who netted a brace for City over the weekend, has sought permission from the technical team to be excused in order to properly recover from an ankle injury.

Kudus, understandably, needs time to fully recover from a long-term thigh injury, which saw him miss the World Cup in the summer.

The absence of the Premier League duo will come as a massive blow to Queiroz, who comes up against Ivory Coast in what will be a litmus test for the veteran Portuguese tactician.

The Black Stars are scheduled to take on the Elephants of Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké in their opening fixture of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers on Thursday, September 24.

The four-time African champions will later host The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium four days later.

WDN