Ghana’s national football team, the Black Stars, has named an impressive 11 local players in its provisional 55-man squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 tournament to be played next month.
The list, which was revealed to the public on Wednesday, comes a week after coach Chris Hughton sent it to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The 55-man squad features six players from the reigning Ghana Premier League champions and Champions League campaigners, Medeama SC. These include Abdul Fatawu Hamidu and Jonathan Sowah who maintained their spots in the squad, while Derrick Fordjour, Felix Kyei, and Abdulai Nurudeen.
Two other local players, goalkeeper Benjamin Asare and Emmanuel Antwi were also named from Accra Great Olympics, with John Antwi and Godfred Atuahene being called from Fa Cup Champions Dreams FC, while Asante Kotoko’s Richmond Lamptey and newly entrant Nations FC’s Razak Simpson complete the list of local players selected by Hughton.
The inclusion of these local talents is a significant boost for Ghanaian football and a testament to the growing talent pool in the domestic league. It also highlights Hughton’s commitment to promoting local talent and giving them a chance to represent their country at the highest level.
The Coach is expected to select his final 27-man squad by the 3 of January, ten days ahead of the commencement of the tournament in Ivory Coast
