- Thomas-Asante and Fuseini Handed Late Black Stars Call-Ups as Kudus, Prince Adu Drop Out
Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz has handed late call-ups to Brandon Thomas-Asante and Mohammed Fuseini ahead of the Black Stars’ 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia.
The pair have been drafted into the squad after injuries and withdrawals reduced Ghana’s attacking options only days before the international window.
Thomas-Asante replaces Prince Kwabena Adu, while Fuseini comes in following the withdrawal of Mohammed Kudus.
Thomas-Asante’s recall comes after Prince Adu was ruled out with a head injury sustained while playing for Viktoria Plzeň in the Czech Republic.
The Coventry City forward had initially missed out on Queiroz’s 24-man squad announced on September 18, making his return a rapid reversal of the coach’s original selection.
He now has another opportunity to strengthen his place within the national-team setup after previously featuring for Ghana.
Fuseini has also been brought in at short notice from Derby County after Kudus was removed from consideration. Kudus had originally been recalled to the national team after a lengthy injury absence that also kept him out of Ghana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, but subsequent concerns over his physical readiness led to a change of plan.
Queiroz said further observation of the player’s club appearances suggested his recovery was not progressing as expected, prompting a final decision to protect him rather than risk another setback.
“In my final conversation with Kudus, we realised that the best decision was to protect this progress,” Queiroz said when explaining the decision.
He added that national-team coaches cannot control how players are used by their clubs and must instead respond to the information available from club matches and medical assessments.
The episode underlines the difficult balance between recalling an important player and protecting one who has only recently returned from a seven-month injury layoff.
Kudus had made three substitute appearances for Tottenham Hotspur before starting their Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool, but his withdrawal leaves Ghana without one of its most creative attacking players for the opening AFCON qualifiers.
His initial inclusion had been one of the headline decisions in Queiroz’s squad, particularly after his prolonged absence from international football.
The late change therefore places greater responsibility on the other attacking players available to the coach.
Thomas-Asante arrives with recent international experience after featuring for Ghana at the 2026 World Cup, where he was part of the squad that reached the round of 32 before losing to Colombia.
His club situation at Coventry has been less straightforward, with the promoted side enduring a difficult opening to the Premier League season.
He nevertheless offers Queiroz a direct forward option and a player already familiar with the demands of international football.
Fuseini, meanwhile, gets another opportunity to force his way into Ghana’s attacking plans at a time when competition for places remains fluid.
His late inclusion indicates that Queiroz is prepared to adjust quickly when injuries or fitness concerns arise, rather than retain players whose readiness is uncertain.
With Ghana beginning a new AFCON qualification cycle, such squad depth could prove important over a campaign likely to require repeated adaptation.
The changes come just three days after Queiroz named his original 24-man squad for the qualifiers against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia, as well as a friendly against Morocco.
That list included several returning players, among them Nathaniel Adjei, Alexander Djiku, Ibrahim Sulemana and Ibrahim Osman, while Jan Gyamerah and Ronald Donkor also received call-ups.
Kudus’ return had initially been one of the most significant inclusions before the decision was reversed.
Ghana open their qualifying campaign away to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké on September 24, before hosting The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on September 29.
The Black Stars are then scheduled to travel to Morocco for an international friendly against the Atlas Lions on October 4.
The sequence gives Queiroz little preparation time with the revised squad and increases the importance of players adapting quickly to tactical roles and combinations.
The Côte d’Ivoire fixture is likely to provide an immediate test of Ghana’s attacking depth. Losing both Prince Adu and Kudus removes two players with different profiles, forcing Queiroz to recalibrate rather than make direct like-for-like substitutions.
Thomas-Asante can offer movement and physical presence through the centre, while Fuseini provides another option in attacking areas as the coach looks to preserve balance.
The late call-ups also demonstrate how quickly international squads can change once club football, injuries and recovery programmes intersect.
Queiroz’s public explanation of the Kudus decision suggests the technical team is placing greater emphasis on player management rather than reputation or past importance when making final selections.
That approach could become an important feature of his tenure if Ghana is to avoid overloading players returning from injury.
For Thomas-Asante and Fuseini, the opportunity is significant because both arrive in the squad through circumstances they did not originally control.
Late replacements are often given limited preparation time, but a strong contribution can quickly change a player’s position in the national-team hierarchy.
With Ghana beginning its road to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, both now have the chance to turn an emergency call into a longer-term role in Queiroz’s plans.
