Ghana: Carlos Queiroz explains Mohammed Kudus’ absence
Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz explained why Mohammed Kudus was absent from the list of the “ Black Stars ” for the upcoming international break.
Ghana will begin their campaign in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers against Côte d’Ivoire on Thursday, September 24, 2026, in Bouaké, before hosting Gambia in Accra three days later.
Queiroz explains Kudus’ absence
According to Carlos Queiroz, the initial feedback regarding Mohammed Kudus’ condition was encouraging. However, the situation changed after the Tottenham forward played for an extended period with his club.
“Based on our observations and discussions, it seemed that Kudus was heading in the right direction. But later, after playing more than 70 minutes, things did not develop as we had hoped.”
The Portuguese coach also stressed that national team coaches cannot intervene in decisions made by club staffs, particularly those concerning the playing time of international players.
“We do not control the decisions of club coaches, and we cannot control how they use their players.”
After his latest conversation with Kudus, Carlos Queiroz therefore felt that the best option was not to call up the player in order to protect the continuation of his recovery.
“During my last conversation with Kudus, we understood that the best decision was to protect his recovery process. He risks taking a step backwards, and nobody wants that to happen.”