Premier League duo Thomas Partey and Tariq Lamptey have been conspicuously excluded from the Black Stars' 27-man squad for the 2023 AFCON.
Chris Hughton made this announcement on Monday, January 1, just 12 days shy of the tournament's kick-off.
- See also: CONFIRMED: AFCON 2023 Squad lists
Partey, the talented midfielder from Arsenal, has been grappling with injury-related setbacks, and his exclusion comes after a period of limited game time since the October friendly matches against Mexico and the United States of America.
Despite returning to team training last month, Chris Hughton opted to leave him out of the final squad.
Tariq Lamptey, the right-back who generated discussions with his inclusion in the provisional squad, will also miss the continental tournament due to an injury.
On a brighter note, three Ghana Premier League players have secured spots in Hughton's final 27-man squad.
Asante Kotoko's Richmond Lamptey, along with Medeama duo Hamid Abdul Fatawu and Jonathan Sowah, have earned their maiden call-ups to represent the Black Stars under the guidance of the Irish trainer.
Ghana Black Stars AFCON 2023 squad
Here is the full list of players called up Hughton for the 2023 AFCON to be staged in Ivory Coast:
| Position | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Lawrence Ati-Zigi | FC St. Gallen |
| Richard Ofori | Orlando Pirates | |
| Jojo Wollacott | Charlton Athletic | |
| Defenders | Alidu Seidu | Clermont Foot |
| Dennis Odoi | K.A.A. Gent | |
| Kingsley Schindler | 1. FC Köln | |
| Gideon Mensah | Bordeaux | |
| Abdul Fatawu Hamidu | Medeama SC | |
| Daniel Amartey | Leicester City | |
| Nicholas Opoku | Amiens SC | |
| Alexander Djiku | Strasbourg | |
| Mohammed Salisu | Southampton | |
| Midfielders | Samed Salis | Clermont Foot |
| Baba Iddrisu | RCD Mallorca | |
| Majeed Ashimeru | RSC Anderlecht | |
| Elisha Owusu | Gent | |
| Richmond Lamptey | Asante Kotoko SC | |
| Mohammed Kudus | Ajax | |
| Andre Ayew | Al-Sadd SC | |
| Ransford Konigsdorffer | Hamburger SV | |
| Osman Bukari | Red Star Belgrade | |
| Joseph Paintsil | KRC Genk | |
| Jordan Ayew | Crystal Palace | |
| Ernest Nuamah | FC Nordsjælland | |
| Strikers | Iñaki Williams | Athletic Bilbao |
| Antoine Semenyo | Bristol City | |
| Jonathan Sowah | Medeama SC |
As Ghana's national football team coach, Chris Hughton was gearing up to address the media today at 11 am, to provide the highly anticipated revelation of the final squad set to represent the nation in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote D'Ivoire, certain European clubs have officially confirmed the release of their Ghanaian players for the prestigious AFCON tournament, reinforcing the excitement and anticipation surrounding the event.
Among the stars who have received the green light from their respective clubs are Crystal Palace's Jordan Ayew, Athletic Bilbao's Inaki Williams, and Jojo Wollacott. These confirmations signal a strong commitment from the players and their clubs to contribute to Ghana's AFCON campaign scheduled to take place from Saturday, January 13, 2024, to Sunday, February 11, 2024.
Chris Hughton faced the challenging task of narrowing down his 55-man provisional selection to form the final 27-man squad that will carry the hopes and aspirations of a football-loving nation.
Ghana finds itself placed in Group B alongside formidable opponents Cape Verde, Egypt, and Mozambique, promising an intense and competitive group stage.
