Ghana have been hit by a major injury crisis ahead of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying opener against Côte d’Ivoire, with several key players ruled out of Thursday’s Group C encounter in Bouaké.

Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has been forced to reshuffle his plans after a series of withdrawals left Ghana without several experienced and influential members of the squad.

Ghana travel to face the Elephants at the Stade de la Paix on Thursday, September 24, with the Black Stars looking to begin their qualifying campaign on a positive note.

Jordan Ayew Among Major Absentees

Captain Jordan Ayew is one of the biggest names missing from the squad.

The Sheffield United forward suffered a groin injury during his club's match against Stoke City. Although he reported to the Black Stars camp in Accra, subsequent medical examinations confirmed that he would not be fit to feature.

Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo is also unavailable after withdrawing with an ankle injury.

Mohammed Kudus, meanwhile, has opted to continue his rehabilitation at Tottenham after a lengthy injury layoff. The midfielder had initially been included in Queiroz's squad before his withdrawal.

Thomas Partey is another major absentee. The experienced midfielder is recovering from a hamstring injury and was not included in the squad for the international window.

Other players ruled out include Jan Gyamerah, Nathaniel Adjei, Baba Rahman and Prince Kwabena Adu.

Adjei is nursing a hamstring problem, while Adu sustained a head injury in club action.

Alidu Seidu has also withdrawn from the squad amid fitness concerns.

Queiroz: “We Keep Sailing”

Despite the growing list of absentees, Queiroz has sought to maintain a positive outlook ahead of the difficult assignment.

The Portuguese coach acknowledged the challenges facing his team while insisting that Ghana must continue moving forward.

“This wonderful team, we have a couple of goals, we are taking in some water, we have a couple of holes in our boat, but we keep sailing,” Queiroz said.

The Black Stars opened camp in Accra on Monday with only seven players initially available, highlighting the disruption caused by injuries and late arrivals.

Nine Players Added to Squad

With the squad depleted, the Ghana Football Association has added nine players to the wider group.

The additions are Jonas Adjetey, Ebenezer Annan, Rockson Yeboah, Rahim Ibrahim, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Mohammed Fuseini, Benjamin Tetteh, Jerry Afriyie and Felix Afena-Gyan.

The expanded group gives Queiroz additional options as he prepares for Ghana's opening qualifier.

Ghana will need to quickly build cohesion despite the late changes, with the trip to Bouaké presenting a demanding start to the qualifying campaign.

Sibo: Ivory Coast “Doesn’t Scare Me”

Despite Côte d’Ivoire's quality and home advantage, Ghana midfielder Kwasi Sibo believes the Black Stars have enough quality to compete.

“It doesn’t scare me. We know the opponents... We also have quality players who can match them,” Sibo said.

His confidence will be tested against an Ivorian side expected to provide Ghana with a physically demanding and tactically challenging contest.

Ghana's AFCON 2027 Schedule

The Black Stars' upcoming fixtures include:

1. September 24: Côte d’Ivoire vs Ghana — Stade de la Paix, Bouaké, 19:00 GMT
2. September 29: Ghana vs The Gambia — Accra Sports Stadium
3. October 4: Morocco vs Ghana — International friendly in Tangier

The meeting with Côte d’Ivoire will be Queiroz's first competitive match since Ghana's elimination by Colombia in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

With the Black Stars entering the fixture without several established stars, the match in Bouaké will provide an early test of the depth available to Queiroz as Ghana begin their pursuit of a place at AFCON 2027.