Unity Cup 2025: Kudus, Partey absent as Salis and Afena-Gyan return to Black Stars

Black Stars head coach Otto Addo has named a 23-man squad for the upcoming 2025 Unity Cup in London, with notable absentees and a handful of debutants.

Key players Mohammed Kudus (West Ham), Thomas Partey (Arsenal), and Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth) have all been left out of the squad, prompting Otto Addo to call on several home-based players and new faces to bolster the team.

Returning to the fold are Abdul Samed Salis (Sunderland), Felix Afena-Gyan, and Majeed Ashimeru (Anderlecht). Salis makes his comeback after a long injury layoff, while Afena-Gyan is back in the national setup for the first time in nearly two years.

Salis has not played for the Black Stars since June 10, 2024 but after a loan spell at Sunderland he earns a move back into the team.

Five players will be making their senior team debuts, including Hearts of Oak goalkeeper Benjamin Asare, Nations FC midfielder Razak Simpson, Medeama’s Kamaradini Mamudu, and Asante Kotoko striker Kwame Opoku. Joseph Tetteh Anang, the former West Ham shot-stopper now playing for St. Patrick’s Athletic in Ireland, also earns his first senior call-up.

Also stepping up are U-20 standouts Abdul Aziz Issah and Aaron Essel, who impressed at the recent U-20 AFCON in Egypt. Rising talents Caleb Yirenkyi (FC Nordsjaelland, Denmark) and Mohammed Gadafi Fuseini (Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgium) complete the list of debutants.

The Black Stars will assemble in London to prepare for the tournament, which features Ghana, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica. Ghana will face Nigeria in the semi-final at the GTech Community Stadium on Wednesday, May 28, with a place in the final—scheduled for Saturday, May 31—at stake.

 

 

The post Unity Cup 2025: Kudus, Partey absent as Salis and Afena-Gyan return to Black Stars first appeared on 3News.

Read Full Story