Ghana have recalled Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, Brighton & Hove Albion defender Tariq Lamptey and Leicester City’s Daniel Amartey to their squad for two friendlies in the United States next week but left out long serving captain Dede Ayew.
Coach Chris Hughton named 23 players for the matches against Mexico in Charlotte, North Carolina on October 14 and then against the United States in Nashville three days later.
It is a trimmed down selection as Hughton looks to have settled on the bulk of his squad for January’s Cup of Nations finals.
Captain Ayew is dropped as he is still to find a club after being released by Nottingham Forest at the end of the last Premier League season. The 33-year-old Ayew was on the bench for the 2-1 win over the Central African Republic in Ghana’s last Cup of Nations qualifier on September 7 and played 25 minutes as a substitute in their 3-1 against Liberia in a friendly five days later.
Abdul Fatawu Hamid will be the only locally based player on the trip after helping his club Medeama qualify for the group phase of the African Champions League. He was not included in the original squad for last month’s two internationals but then drafted in as an injury replacement and won his first cap against Liberia.
SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St. Gallen, Switzerland), Abdul Manaf Nurudeen (KAS Eupen, Belgium), Richard Ofori (Orlando Pirates, South Africa)
Defenders: Joseph Aidoo (Celta Vigo, Spain), Daniel Amartey (Leicester City, England), Alexander Djiku (Fenerbahce, Turkey), Abdul Fatawu Hamid (Medeama), Tariq Lamptey (Brighton & Hove Albion, England), Gideon Mensah (AJ Auxerre, France), Nicholas Opoku (Amiens, France), Alidu Seidu (Clermont Foot, France)
Midfielders: Salis Abdul Samed (Racing Lens, France), Edmund Addo, Osman Bukari (both Red Star Belgrade, Serbia), Ransford Koningsdorffer (Hamburg SV, Germany), Mohammed Kudus (West Ham United, England), Elisha Owusu (AJ Auxerre, France), Joseph Painstil (Racing Genk, Belgium), Thomas Partey (Arsenal, England)
Forwards: Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace, England), Ernest Nuamah (Olympique Lyonnais, France), Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth, England) Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao, Spain).
