Avram Grant Unveils First Ghana Squad Ahead of 2015 AFCON – Big Names Omitted
Newly appointed Ghana head coach Avram Grant has announced a 31-man provisional squad for the upcoming 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), scheduled to start on January 17 in Equatorial Guinea. The Israeli tactician, named Black Stars boss just weeks ago, has made bold decisions for his debut tournament.
🚫 Key Absences:
Notably absent from the list are experienced midfielders Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, and Kevin-Prince Boateng:
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Muntari and Boateng are still serving suspensions handed down after disciplinary issues during the 2014 World Cup.
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Essien, once a Black Stars stalwart, has not featured prominently in recent national team plans.
🆕 Fresh Faces:
Grant introduced four newcomers to the national team setup:
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Daniel Amartey (FC Copenhagen, Denmark)
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Adu Kofi (Malmö FF, Sweden)
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Ibrahim Moro (AIK, Sweden)
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Kwesi Appiah (Cambridge United, England)
Also returning are Frank Acheampong (Anderlecht) and Samuel Inkoom (Houston Dynamo), both of whom had been out of the national team picture.
⚠️ Group of Death:
Ghana is in Group C, alongside Algeria, Senegal, and South Africa – arguably the toughest group in the tournament.
🇬🇭 Ghana’s 31-Man Provisional Squad for AFCON 2015
🧤 Goalkeepers:
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Razak Braimah (Mirandés, Spain)
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Stephen Adams (Aduana Stars, Ghana)
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Fatau Dauda (AshantiGold, Ghana)
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Ernest Sowah (Don Bosco, DR Congo)
🛡️ Defenders:
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Harrison Afful (Espérance, Tunisia)
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John Boye (Erciyesspor, Turkey)
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Jonathan Mensah (Evian, France)
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Jeffery Schlupp (Leicester City, England)
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Awal Mohammed (Maritzburg United, South Africa)
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Kwabena Adusei (Mpumalanga Black Aces, South Africa)
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Baba Rahman (Augsburg, Germany)
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Edwin Gyimah (Mpumalanga Black Aces, South Africa)
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Samuel Inkoom (Houston Dynamo, USA)
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Daniel Amartey (FC Copenhagen, Denmark)
⚙️ Midfielders:
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Rabiu Mohammed (Krasnodar, Russia)
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Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu (Udinese, Italy)
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Afriyie Acquah (Parma, Italy)
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Solomon Asante (TP Mazembe, DR Congo)
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Christian Atsu (Everton, England)
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Mubarak Wakaso (Celtic, Scotland)
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André Ayew (Marseille, France)
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Alfred Duncan (Sampdoria, Italy)
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Albert Adomah (Middlesbrough, England)
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Frank Acheampong (Anderlecht, Belgium)
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Adu Kofi (Malmö FF, Sweden)
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Ibrahim Moro (AIK, Sweden)
🎯 Forwards:
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Jordan Ayew (Lorient, France)
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Abdul-Majeed Waris (Trabzonspor, Turkey)
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Asamoah Gyan (Al Ain, UAE)
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Kwesi Appiah (Cambridge United, England)
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David Accam (Chicago Fire, USA)
Grant will finalize the 23-man squad before the CAF deadline. With a talented but youthful group, Ghana will hope to end its AFCON title drought — their last triumph came in 1982.
