LIST: See Ghana’s 30-man provisional squad for AFCON 2021

• Posted on December 22, 2021December 22, 2021
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac has named five local-based players in his 30-man provisional squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.

The local-based quintet comprises Accra Hearts of Oak goalie Richard Atta, six-goal Ghana Premier League leading scorer David Abagna (Real Tamale United), Accra Great Olympics forward Maxwell Abbey Quaye as well as Dreams FC duo Fatawu Issahaku and Philemon Baffour.

Debuts

Rajevac also handed call ups to four debutants namely, Khalid Abdul Mumin of Vitoria de Guimaraes and Salis Abdul Samed of French Ligue 1 side Clermont Foot, Quaye of Olympics and Abagna of RTU.

Also in the squad is Arsenal midfielder Thomas Teye Partey who missed last month’s World Cup qualifiers against Ethiopia and South Africa due to injury and Belgium based winger Joseph Painstil (Genk) who has also been handed a call by the Serbian trainer.

Final Squad

Participating teams at next year’s AFCON have the option to present a final squad of 28 players (an increase of 5), in case some players test positive for COVID 19.

However, this is just an option and not an obligation to participating teams as federations will bear the cost of the international travel as well as the accommodation of these additional players on the final list. 

This means that Rajevac will have to cut at least two players from the provisional squad for the AFCON which is to be staged from Sunday, January 9 to Sunday, February 6, 2022, in Cameroon.

Ghana camp

The Black Stars will begin camping on Wednesday, December 22, 2021, in Doha, Qatar for a 17-day training camp in preparation for the Cup of Nations which kicks off on Sunday, January 9, 2022.

They will play three friendly matches while in Qatar. The Ghana Football Association has already concluded talks with Algeria while engagements are ongoing for two additional matches.

Full Squad:

Goalkeepers: Joseph Wollacott (Swindon Town), Abdul Manaf Nurudeen (Eupen), Richard Attah (Hearts of Oak), Lawrence Ati Zigi (St. Gallen)

Defenders: Andy Yiadom (Reading FC), Philemon Baffuor (Dreams FC), Baba Abdul Rahman (Reading FC), Gideon Mensah (Girondins Bordeaux), Daniel Amartey (Leicester City), Alexander Djiku (Strasbourg FC), Jonathan Mensah (Columbus Crew), Khalid Abdul Mumin (Vitoria de Guimaraes)

Midfielders: Baba Iddrissu (Real Mallorca), Edmund Addo (Sherif Tiraspol), Thomas Teye Partey (Arsenal FC), Mubarak Wakaso (Shenzhen FC), Mohammed Kudus (Ajax Amsterdam), Daniel Kofi Kyere (St. Pauli), David Abagna (Real Tamale United), Salis Abdul Samed (Clermont Foot)

Wingers: Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Dreams FC), Samuel Owusu (Al-Fayha), Kamal Deen Suleymana (Rennes FC), Dede Ayew (Al Sadd SC), Joseph Paintsil (Genk)

Strikers: Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace), Richmond Boakye Yiadom (Beitar Jerusalem), Maxwell Abbey Quaye (Great Olympics), Felix Afena Gyan (AS Roma), Benjamin Tetteh (Malatyaspor)

-Graphic