With MVP Semenyo
©IMAGO
Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz has named a 28-man squad for the Black Stars’ World Cup preparation camp and friendly against Wales in Cardiff next Tuesday. With the 22-year-old central defender Jonas Adjetey from VfL Wolfsburg, there is only one Bundesliga professional in the 73-year-old’s squad, who only took over from Otto Addo in mid-April.
Adjetey, who moved from Basel to the Autostadt in February, had not played for Bundesliga relegated VfL since March. He has been a regular player in the national team since last autumn. However, the World Cup train has left Union Berlin’s Derrick Köhn, who made his debut under Addo at the end of last year and last played in the 2-1 defeat against Germany in March, as well as striker Ransford Königsdörffer. The 24-year-old attacker, who scored 5 goals in the top flight last season and moved from Hamburger SV to FSV Mainz last week, was also given a chance again in the spring after being ignored for a long time, but does not play a role in Queiroz’s plans.
The same applies to Darmstadt’s Patric Pfeiffer, who made his debut in a 5-1 defeat against Austria at the end of March. Left-back Jan Gyamerah from Bundesliga promoted SV Elversberg, who played 90 minutes in the 2-0 defeat against World Cup hosts Mexico last weekend, is also not in the African squad. Former Augsburg, Schalke and Chelsea professional Abdul Rahman Baba from traditional Greek club PAOK, however, is returning to Queiroz’s team for the first time since September 2023.
The Portuguese also called up Olympique Lyon’s Ernest Nuamah after a twelve-month injury break, Abdul Mumin (Rayo Vallecano), Augustine Boakye (Saint-Etienne), Alidu Seidu (Stade Rennes) and Ajax youngster Paul Reson.
The most valuable players in the Black Stars’ ranks are Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo, Leicester’s Abdul Fatawu, Bergamo’s Kamaldeen Sulemana and Coventry’s Brandon Thomas-Asante. In terms of squad value ranking, the Ghana team is in the upper midfield among the 48 World Cup participants.
