"It is a Big Loss": Ghana Defender Gideon Mensah on Withdrawal of Eight Players

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  • Gideon Mensah has opened up on the absence of eight players for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers
  • The Black Stars are preparing for the games against Angola and Niger in the qualifiers for the 2025 AFCON
  • Ghana are yet to win a game in the qualifiers and could miss the tournament in Morocco if Sudan picks a point in the last two matches

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Black Stars defender Gideon Mensah has expressed disappointment by the withdrawal of eight players from the squad to face Angola and Niger in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

However, the France-based left-back remains confident that their replacements will be up for the task, as Ghana hopes to end the qualifiers on a winning note.

Eight players, including English Premier League duo Antoine Semenyo and Tariq Lamptey, pulled out of the squad for various reasons.

Ghana defender Gideon Mensah has reacted to the withdrawal of eight players from the AFCON qualifiers. Photo: Twitter/ @GhanaBlackstars.
Source: Twitter

Coach Otto Addo replaced the missing players with six new additions including former Red Star Belgrade winger Osman Bukari.

Eight Players Report to Training as Black Stars Prepare for AFCON QualifiersOtto Addo had only eight players on the first day of training as the Black Stars prepare for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Angola and Niger.by  Lukman Mumuni, 12 Nov 2024

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Mensah, one of eight players who trained with the team on Monday at the Accra Sports Stadium, maintains that the team's objective is to win the remaining matches.

''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," he said after training on Monday, as quite by Ghana Soccernet.
''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,'' he added.

Black Stars boosted by arrivals of new players

Ghana's AFCON Qualifiers Woes Deepen as Eight Players Withdraw From SquadGhana's Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers hit rock-bottom after eight players withdrew from the Black Stars squad for the games against Angola and Niger.by  Lukman Mumuni, 11 Nov 2024

After eight players trained on Monday, fourteen more players have joined the squad in Accra ahead of Tuesday's exercise.

The squad number has increased to 22, with only Ebenezer Annan of OFK Beograd set to join, according to the Black Stars X account.

The Black Stars will travel to Luanda on Wednesday for the match on Friday.

Eight players withdraw from squad

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the Black Stars have been further weakened ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Angola and Niger.

Eight players from coach Otto Addo's 25-man squad for the two games have withdrawn from the squad for various reasons.

Most of these players pulled out of the squad due to injuries, while US-based winger Joseph Paintsil sighted personal reasons for his absence.

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Source: YEN.com.gh