Elisha Owusu gutted to miss Ghana’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers

Black Stars midfielder Elisha Owusu says he is devastated to miss Ghana’s upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers due to injury but remains confident in his teammates’ ability to secure positive results.

Owusu was initially included in Otto Addo’s 23-man squad for the matches against Chad and Madagascar.

However, the Auxerre midfielder has been forced to withdraw after sustaining an injury over the weekend, with Lawrence Agyekum named as his replacement.

Agyekum has featured in 38 matches across all competitions for Cercle Brugge this season

Providing an update on his condition, Elisha Owusu expressed his disappointment but backed his teammates to make the nation proud in the crucial qualifiers.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to join the squad for our FIFA World Cup qualifiers due to injury, but I have full confidence in my teammates to get the job done,” he wrote on social media.

“It’s never easy to miss out, but I believe everything happens for a reason, and my focus now is on recovery. I know this team is ready to fight, and I’ll be supporting every step of the way.

“To the fans, your support means everything. Keep believing in the team, and let’s push forward together!”

Ghana will face Chad at the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday, March 21, before taking on Madagascar on Monday, March 24, 2025.

The Black Stars currently sit level on nine points with Comoros in Group I, having recorded three wins and one defeat in their four matches so far.

Ghana’s qualifying campaign began with a 1-0 victory over Madagascar, followed by a narrow defeat to Comoros.

They bounced back with consecutive wins over Mali and the Central African Republic in June last year.

The Black Stars, who opened camp on Monday, had nine players participate in training at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The players present for Monday’s session included Benjamin Asare, Joseph Wollacott, Lawrence Ati-Zigi, Gideon Mensah, Kamaradini Mamudu, Razak Simpson, Antoine Semenyo, Salisu Mohammed, and Kamal Deen Sulemana.

The rest of the squad was expected to join the camp by Monday night ahead of Tuesday’s training session.