The Ghana U23 national team will be without attacker Kojo Opoku Mahala for the 2023 CAF U23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.
According to the head coach of the Black Meteors, the club of the player, Los Angeles FC have refused to release the forward.
“For now he is not joining because his team didn’t agree to release him for this tournament. This tournament does not fall within the FIFA international dates so we cannot force the team to release him.
“For now we know he is not coming and we are focused on the players who are here and we know they can do the job for us,” Coach Ibrahim Tanko said as quoted on the GFA website.
In addition to Kojo Opoku Mahala, attackers Kamaldeen Sulemana and Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer will also not be part of the Black Meteors.
The two players were part of the provisional 29-man squad named by coach Ibrahim Tanko for the U23 AFCON.
But in an update, the coach said the duo will not join his team for the tournament in Morocco.
“For now I understand Ernest Nuamah is going to join us. The rest will not be able to join so we only have to concentrate on those who are here,” the coach said.
The U23 AFCON tournament is scheduled to kick off on Saturday, June 24.