Gideon Mensah: Black Stars’ withdrawals a “big loss”

Auxerre’s Gideon Mensah admits that the mass withdrawal from the Black Stars squad for the games against Angola and Niger is a significant setback.

The defender was among only seven players who trained on Monday in the first session ahead of the AFCON 2025 qualifiers. The mood during the training was subdued as he spoke to the media about the absence of several key players.

Coach Otto Addo initially named a 25-man squad, but eight players, including Inaki Williams, Antoine Semenyo, and Alexander Djiku, have withdrawn, citing various reasons, including injuries. In response, Addo has called up six replacements, including Osman Bukari, though the diminished quality could impact the team this month.

”For me, I think every player on the national team is crucial to the team. Obviously, we have players that we are always looking to see in the national team and we have players that are also there to support when the other players are not there.

”It is a big loss for us but at the end of the day, we also have a team to cover up. I am not really scared about that but like I said everybody is crucial to the team so if one player is not there, one will be there to play so…” he added.

Black Stars defender Gideon Mensah says the team will watch Sudan v Niger game in the AFCON qualifiers.

That game takes place 24 hours before Ghana v Angola

If Sudan avoids defeat, Ghana’s AFCON dream will end#3SportsGH pic.twitter.com/7NvEe7sF3P

— #3Sports (@3SportsGh) November 11, 2024

Ghana, on the brink of missing the tournament in Morocco, must beat Angola on November 15 and Niger three days later in Accra, while also relying on Sudan failing to win their matches against the same opponents to secure qualification.