As per Citi Sports checks, Mohammed Kudus is facing a potentially more severe hamstring injury than initially anticipated, putting his participation in Ghana’s opening AFCON game against Cape Verde on Sunday in jeopardy.
The 23-year-old experienced tightness in his hamstring following West Ham’s 2-0 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. West Ham conducted an assessment, and the injury was communicated to the Ghana Football Association (GFA), a confirmation made by Chris Hughton during the squad announcement press conference.
Originally expected to join his teammates last week, Kudus’ return has been delayed as he requires an additional 5-6 days to achieve full fitness.
Currently in Ghana, he is working with physiotherapists around the clock to facilitate his recovery ahead of the team’s departure to Ivory Coast on Wednesday for the AFCON.
The decision on whether to risk Kudus in the initial match against Cape Verde remains uncertain, given that he won’t be at optimal fitness due to missing a significant portion of the training camp and the friendly against Namibia.
After boring draw against Namibia in a pre-tournament friendly, Chris Hughton hinted the former Ajax star could join the team today but latest development suggests he may be sidelined for a longer period of time than anticipated.
Having missed the 2021 AFCON due to a rib fracture, Kudus is determined to make his debut in the competition for the Black Stars. Notably, his time at Ajax included a hamstring injury in April 2023, sidelining him for four games.
Ghana is in Group B at the 2023 AFCON with Cape Verde, Egypt and Mozambique and kicks off its campaign with a game against Cape Verde on Sunday, January 14 at 20:00 GMT.