Ghana star, Mohammed Kudus is set to miss the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations [Afcon] in Cameroon this month.
The 21-year-old has been out of action since November last year after picking up an injury during Ghana’s final Group G game against South Africa during the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers at the Cape Coast Stadium.
The enterprising forward was expected to join the camp of the Black Stars for the 33rd edition of the Afcon today, January 3 but Kudus has joined his Ajax teammates for their winter break camp in Portugal.
The Black Stars have been camping in Doha for the past two weeks ahead of the tournament with the aim of winning the trophy for the first time since 1982.
The European players named in Milovan Rajevac’s provisional squad are all expected to join camp today before the team fly to Yaounde on January 7.
The Ghana Football Association [GFA] were expecting Kudus to report to the Black Stars despite being out of action.
“Kudus Mohammed is not ruled out of the Afcon yet. It is still 50-50,” the GFA Communications Director, Henry Asante Twum told Accra based Asempa FM.
“We are in contact with Ajax and we will make a decision in the best interest of the player,” he added.
However, Ajax head coach Erik Ten Hag believes it will be unwise for the 21-year-old who has suffered 4 injuries in a year and half to risk playing in such a physically demanding competition with little match fitness.
Ten Hag disclosed this to journalists following their 5 – 0 victory against Fortuna Sittard on match week 18.
As it stands, Ghana will miss the services of Kudus Mohammed ahead of the delayed tournament.
Kudus joined Ajax from Nordsjaelland in 2020 for a fee of 9 million euros and made 17 appearances in his first season which was derailed by a meniscus injury.
He has only managed 6 appearances this season due to an ankle injury and a rib injury. The former Right to Dream Academy graduate has made 10 appearances for Ghana’s Black Stars.
Ghana are housed in Group C alongside Comoros, Gabon and Morocco. The tournament start from January 9 to February 6.
Source: Modern Ghana
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