Injury setbacks in the Black Stars camp have opened the door for Michael Baidoo of IF Elfsborg and AZ Alkmaar’s Ibrahim Sadiq to make their debut appearances for the Ghana national team.
The pair were handed late call-ups as the Black Stars prepare for their crucial doubleheader against Sudan in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
Initially left out of coach Otto Addo’s 25-man squad, Baidoo and Sadiq’s inclusion comes after injuries to key players, including Arsenal’s Thomas Partey, LA Galaxy’s Joseph Paintsil, Feyenoord’s Osman Ibrahim, and Kingsley Schindler of Samsunspor.
Partey was expected to captain the team in the absence of Andre Ayew, but his withdrawal due to fitness concerns paved the way for Baidoo to earn his maiden call-up.
Michael Baidoo, 25, has been in stellar form for Swedish side IF Elfsborg, scoring 10 goals and providing three assists across all competitions this season. The forward will be joined by Ibrahim Sadiq, who has also been impressive in the Dutch Eredivisie. Both players are eager to make an impact in their first senior appearances for Ghana.
In addition, Cercle Brugge’s Abu Francis and FC Basel’s Jonas Adjetey have also been called up as reinforcements ahead of the AFCON qualifiers.
The Black Stars will host Sudan at the Accra Sports Stadium on Thursday, October 10, before traveling to Libya for the reverse fixture. Ghana is seeking to secure a much-needed win after a shaky start in the qualifiers, with a 1-0 loss to Angola and a 1-1 draw against Niger leaving them third in Group F.
With the team aiming to end their 42-year AFCON trophy drought, these next two matches are critical for Ghana’s campaign to qualify for the tournament in 2025.
The post Michael Baidoo and Ibrahim Sadiq handed debut Black Stars call-ups first appeared on 3News.
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