Injuries Sideline Kudus, Nuamah, and Semenyo Ahead of Unity Cup

Injury-Hit Ghana Squad to Face Nigeria in Unity Cup Without Key Stars

Ghana’s national football team, the Black Stars, will head into their highly anticipated Unity Cup clash against long-time rivals Nigeria without a host of key players, as head coach Otto Addo has been forced to name a severely depleted squad due to injuries, fatigue, and club commitments.

The match, set to take place on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at the GTech Community Stadium in London, serves as a high-profile warm-up fixture ahead of Ghana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers scheduled for later this year.

Among the most notable absentees is Mohammed Kudus, the dynamic West Ham United midfielder, who has been ruled out with a minor knock. Antoine Semenyo of Bournemouth and Kamaldeen Sulemana of Southampton are also unavailable due to fitness concerns. Their absence will be felt, especially given their form in recent international outings and contributions during the past season.

Ghana’s attacking depth takes a further hit with the exclusion of Ernest Nuamah, the Olympique Lyon winger who has been sidelined after sustaining a serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, abruptly ending his campaign. Additionally, midfielders Elisha Owusu and Ransford Yeboah Königsdörffer are unavailable due to physical setbacks, further narrowing Otto Addo’s options in midfield.

The coaching staff has also opted to rest two other major contributors, Thomas Partey and Michael Baidoo, citing the need for recovery after an intense club season. The decision is seen as a precautionary measure to ensure they remain fully fit for the competitive World Cup qualifiers in September, when Ghana faces Chad and Mali.

The squad is further weakened by the continued absence of long-term injury casualties such as Daniel Kofi Kyereh, Abdul Manaf Nurudeen, Abdul Mumin, Tariq Lamptey, Alidu Seidu, and Fatawu Issahaku. The prolonged unavailability of these players has been a recurring challenge for the Black Stars’ technical team, hampering consistency and squad cohesion.

Adding to Otto Addo’s selection woes, several players were not released by their clubs. Alexander Djiku, Jerome Opoku, and Kingsley Schindler are still engaged with their teams in the Turkish Süper Lig, which has not yet concluded its season. Similarly, Joseph Paintsil and Osman Bukari are currently fulfilling their responsibilities in the Major League Soccer (MLS), and Jonas Adjetey of FC Basel remains tied up ahead of the Swiss Cup final on June 1.

Despite these absences, the Unity Cup fixture against Nigeria remains a key test for Ghana as the technical team uses the match to assess the depth of the squad and experiment with new combinations. The winner of the Ghana-Nigeria match will earn a spot in the final against either Jamaica or Trinidad and Tobago, who face off in the other semifinal tie.

Otto Addo is expected to rely on a blend of fringe players and promising young talent eager to impress on the international stage. The Unity Cup, while a friendly tournament, offers a crucial opportunity for players on the periphery to stake their claim for a spot in the squad ahead of the competitive fixtures later in the year.

As anticipation builds among fans for another installment of the historic Ghana-Nigeria rivalry, the match is expected to draw significant attention from both African football followers and diaspora communities in the UK. Regardless of the missing stars, the Unity Cup provides a vital platform for the Black Stars to fine-tune strategies and build momentum for their World Cup qualification journey.