Ghanaian defender Gideon Mensah has expressed his disappointment over the withdrawal of eight key players from the Black Stars squad ahead of this month’s AFCON 2025 qualifiers.
The Ghana Football Association announced on Monday that players Tariq Lamptey, Alexander Djiku, Jonas Adjetey, Jerome Opoku, Ibrahim Osman, Osman Bukari, Inaki Williams, and Joseph Paintsil have all opted out of the upcoming matches against Angola and Niger.
While seven of the players cited injuries as their reasons for pulling out, Joseph Paintsil declined the invitation due to “personal reasons.”
Mensah, who was among the eight players who attended the opening training session at the Accra Sports Stadium, emphasized the importance of his missing teammates.
AFCON Q: More Technical team members ( Green) present than players (Red) as the Black Stars hold first training session at the Accra Sports Stadium
Players ( Wollacot, Osman Bukari ,Emmanuel Antwi, Isaac Afful, Elisha Owusu , Kudus, Razak Simpson Gideon Mensah)#HappySports pic.twitter.com/Plm4dSLyhZ
— Happy Sports (@HappySportsGh) November 11, 2024
“For me, every player on the national team is crucial. We have players we always count on, and others who step up when needed,” he remarked. Despite acknowledging the impact of the absentees, the Auxerre defender remains optimistic about the team’s prospects in the qualifiers”, he told HappySports.
“It’s definitely a big loss, but we have a squad capable of covering those gaps. I’m not too worried because we have players ready to step in. Everyone plays an important role, so if one player is unavailable, there’s always another ready to take his place,” Mensah added.
The Black Stars are set to face Angola in Luanda on November 15, followed by a home game against Niger in Accra on November 18.
Currently, Ghana sits third in Group F with two points from four matches, aiming to turn their fortunes around in the upcoming fixtures.