The Ghana World Cup 2022 squad has been announced, with manager Otto Addo revealing the full list of 26 players the Black Stars will be taking to Qatar.
How has the weakest Ghana team in 15 years, who finished bottom of their Africa Cup of Nations group this year after losing to the Comoros, still managed to qualify for a World Cup?
Luck, grit and Otto Addo’s impressive coaching since assuming sole charge in February, that’s how. Very talented but very inexperienced, this Black Stars outfit are the most unpredictable of Africa’s five teams in Qatar: they could play incredibly or splat spectacularly.
In order to play incredibly, Ghana will have to skip to the good bits. The 1-1 play-off draw in Nigeria to secure qualification showed signs of a promising, coherent unit under former Borussia Dortmund player and assistant Addo – before then, Ghana resembled a collection of individuals as they transitioned from the Asamoah Gyan era. They’ll need to put January’s catastrophic AFCON display behind them, too, having taken just a single point from games against Morocco, Gabon and the Comoros.
There are some new faces in the squad, though, which should reenergise the side. Bilbao-born one-cap Spain international Inaki Williams is a late addition to the World Cup squad, following 34-year-old Denis Odoi, who switched his allegiance from Belgium in time for March’s play-offs. Tariq Lamptey of Brighton and Mohammed Salisu of Southampton made their Black Stars debuts in September, too.
Ghana will have to rely on the injury-prone Thomas Partey staying fit for any chance of success, however. Replacements are hard to find, and the Arsenal man is essential for them to purr.
This will be Ghana's fourth appearance at the World Cup. The Black Stars made their debut in 2006, when they reached the round of 16. The 2010 edition saw Ghana reach the quarter-finals and get within a whisker of the last four.
Ghana have been drawn into Group H of the Qatar World Cup 2022, and are set to play Uruguay, Portugal and South Korea.
Ghana World Cup 2022 squad
Ghana World Cup 2022 squad: The final 26-man team
- GK: Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St. Gallen)
- GK: Abdul Manaf Nurudeen (Eupen)
- GK: Ibrahim Danlad (Asante Kotoko)
- DF: Daniel Amartey (Leicester)
- DF: Abdul-Rahman Baba (Reading)
- DF: Alexander Djiku (Strasbourg)
- DF: Joseph Aidoo (Celta Vigo)
- DF: Gideon Mensah (Bordeaux)
- DF: Denis Odoi (Club Brugge)
- DF: Tariq Lamptey (Brighton)
- DF: Alidu Seidu (Clermont)
- DF: Mohammed Salisu (Southampton)
- MF: Mohammed Kudus (Ajax)
- MF: Thomas Partey (Arsenal)
- MF: Andre Ayew (Al Saad)
- MF: Elisha Owusu (Gent)
- MF: Daniel-Kofi Kyereh (St Pauli)
- MF: Daniel Afriyie Barnieh (Hearts of Oak)
- MF: Salis Abdul Samed (Lens)
- FW: Antoine Semenyo (Bristol City)
- FW: Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Sporting CP)
- FW: Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace)
- FW: Kamaldeen Sulemana (Rennes)
- FW: Osman Bukari (Red Star Belgrade)
- FW: Felix Afena-Gyan (Roma)
- FW: Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao)
- FW: Kamal Sowah (Club Brugge)
Ghana top scorers
2 goals: Mohamed Kudus
1 goal: Andre Ayew, Osman Bukari, Mohammed Salisu
Ghana yellow cards
1 yellow card: Inaki Williams, Andre Ayew, Mohammed Kudus, Alidu Seidu, Daniel Amartey, Tariq Lamptey, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Alidu Seidu
Ghana manager
Who is Ghana's manager for the 2022 World Cup?
German-born Ghana international Otto Addo has tried to inject some efficiency into a youthfully languid Black Stars team, where Andre and Jordan Ayew are potentially alone in having World Cup experience. The 47-year-old’s strong backroom includes ex-Newcastle manager Chris Hughton and former Aston Villa midfielder George Boateng.
Ghana star player
Who is Ghana's best player?
At just 22, Mohammed Kudus has barely scratched the ceiling of his ability. The Premier League target is a playmaker who has discovered with Ajax this season that he’s also a false nine and a pure goalscorer, giving his managers the tricky task of working out how best to use Ghana’s brightest prospect since Kwadwo Asamoah of Juventus.
How many players are Ghana allowed to take to the 2022 World Cup?
National managers were allowed to bring 26 players to last summer’s European Championship for the first time at a major tournament, as a special measure brought in due to the COVID-19 pandemic – while last year's Copa America allowed squads of 28 players.
Now it has been announced that 26-player squads will return for the Qatar World Cup, an expansion from the usual 23-man teams.
