Ghana have suffered another setback ahead of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers after Antoine Semenyo withdrew from the Black Stars squad, days after Mohammed Kudus also opted out of the team.

Semenyo asked to be excused from the September-October international window as he focuses on recovering from a niggling ankle injury.

The Manchester City forward was prepared to undergo independent checks on the injury through the Ghana Football Association (GFA), with the situation expected to be clarified further.

Semenyo has made an impressive start to the Premier League season, scoring two goals and providing three assists in five appearances for Manchester City.

His withdrawal follows Kudus’ decision to remain with Tottenham Hotspur to continue his recovery and work towards regaining full fitness and form.

Kudus was initially included in Carlos Queiroz’s 24-man squad after returning to competitive action following a lengthy injury lay-off.

The two withdrawals leave Ghana without two of the attacking players originally selected for the upcoming qualifiers against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia.

Ghana will open their qualifying campaign against Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké on September 24 before hosting The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on September 29.

The Black Stars will then travel to Tangier to face Morocco in an international friendly on October 4.

The latest withdrawals have led to further changes to the squad, with the technical team making late call-ups as Ghana prepare for the fixtures.