Athletic Club have not yet released Inaki Williams to join Ghana for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as the striker “is suffering from an illness which requires him rest.”
The club revealed this on Monday evening, after Williams was confirmed to have made the final squad for the tournament starting on January 13, 2024, in Ivory Coast.
Williams, heading for his first AFCON after switching from Spain to Ghana last year, just before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, will have to join the Ghana camp in Kumasi later than expected due to the latest development.
In a statement, the Spanish club said, “Athletic Club player Iñaki Williams has been assessed by the red and white medical services earlier in the day at Lezama and is suffering from an illness which requires him rest. He has received treatment. He will be assessed tomorrow so that he can travel and join the Ghana training camp as soon as possible. The medical services of the Ghanaian federation have been informed of the condition of the player.”
Williams is one of three centre-forwards named in the 27-man squad and is likely to lead the line in most games.
The 29-year-old, born in Spain last month, admitted playing at AFCON will be an exciting moment for him and his family, expressing his ultimate ambition to “go as far as possible” with Ghana. He said, “I can’t wait to play. This is special for me and my family. My goal is to win it. There’s a lot of passion for football in Ghana and expectations around this team. I’m going to try and do my best.”
Ghana need to be at their best, and Williams, who has scored just one goal for the Black Stars, needs to step up for the team to progress from their group, which features seven-time African champions Egypt, as well as dark horses Cape Verde and Mozambique. In the last edition, the four-time African champions were woeful and deservedly crashed out in the group stage.
This time, they will be hoping for an improved performance, but it won’t be easy given the absence of some key players, including Thomas Partey and Baba Rahman.