Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has named a 24-man squad for Ghana’s opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia.
The squad includes several key players from Ghana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, with Mohammed Kudus, Jordan Ayew, Ernest Nuamah, Antoine Semenyo and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku among the forwards selected.
Kudus returns to the squad after missing recent international action, while Alexander Djiku also makes a return.
Two players, Jan Gyamerah and Ronald Donkor have received their first senior call-ups. Gyamerah has impressed with German side SV Elversberg, while Donkor has been playing for Major League Soccer club New York Red Bulls.
The squad is made up of three goalkeepers, eight defenders, five midfielders and eight forwards.
Goalkeepers
Benjamin Asare – Hearts of Oak
Lawrence Ati-Zigi – St. Gallen
Joseph Anang – St. Patrick’s Athletic
Defenders
Gideon Mensah – FC Köln
Baba Rahman – PAOK
Jan Gyamerah – SV Elversberg
Derrick Luckassen – Red Star Belgrade
Nathaniel Adjei – Lorient
Jerome Opoku – Istanbul Başakşehir
Kojo Oppong Peprah – Fenerbahçe
Alexander Djiku – Spartak Moscow
Midfielders
Kwasi Sibo – Swehly Club
Caleb Yirenkyi – Coventry City
Augustine Boakye – Saint-Étienne
Ronald Donkor – New York Red Bulls
Ibrahim Sulemana – Sassuolo
Forwards
Christopher Bonsu Baah – Al Qadishia
Ernest Nuamah – Lyon
Mohammed Kudus – Tottenham Hotspur
Abdul Fatawu Issahaku – Ipswich Town
Antoine Semenyo – Manchester City
Ibrahim Osman – Brighton
Prince Adu Kwabena – Viktoria Plzeň
Jordan Ayew – Sheffield United
Ghana have been drawn in Group C of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers alongside Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia and Somalia. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the tournament, which will be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
The Black Stars will begin their campaign away to Côte d’Ivoire on September 24 at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké before facing The Gambia in their second group match. CAF lists the Ghana-Gambia fixture for September 29 at 4:00 p.m. GMT.
Ghana will then travel to Morocco for an international friendly against the Atlas Lions on October 4 at the Grand Stade de Tanger. The match is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Morocco time.
The qualifiers mark Queiroz’s first competitive assignment since the Ghana Football Association retained him as Black Stars coach following the 2026 World Cup. Ghana missed the previous AFCON tournament in Morocco and will be seeking a return to the continental competition.
