Ghana’s Squad Watch: How the Black Stars Call-Ups Performed Over the Weekend

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Chad and Mali fast approaching, all eyes are on how players fare in the upcoming games.

Here’s a roundup of how the invited players fared with their respective clubs ahead of the crucial fixtures.

Goalkeepers

• Lawrence Ati-Zigi kept goal for St. Gallen in Switzerland, guiding his side to a narrow 2-1 win over Lausanne on Sunday.
• Joseph Anang featured for St. Patrick’s Athletic in Ireland, playing the full game in a thrilling 2-2 draw with Derry City.
• Benjamin Asare manned the posts for Hearts of Oak, keeping a clean sheet in their 2-0 triumph over Asante Kotoko in the GHALCA Top Four tournament.

Defenders

• Gideon Mensah lasted 84 minutes for Auxerre in their hard-fought 1-0 loss to Nantes.
• Derrick Arthur Köhn had a brief outing, coming on for 21 minutes as Union Berlin fell 3-0 to Borussia Dortmund.
• Mohammed Salisu remained on the bench for Monaco in their 3-2 defeat to Strasbourg.
• Jerome Opoku was ever-present in Basaksehir’s defense, completing the full 90 minutes in a stalemate against Eyuspor.
• Alexander Djiku did not get minutes for Fenerbahce but was part of the squad in their 3-1 win over Genclerbirligi.
• Jonas Adjetey was also unused for Basel in their clash with Sion.
• Tariq Lamptey missed Brighton’s Premier League squad against Manchester City.
• Caleb Yirenkyi stood out in Denmark, scoring for Nordsjaelland as they defeated Odense

Midfielders

• Elisha Owusu worked tirelessly in midfield, playing 88 minutes for Auxerre in their narrow defeat to Nantes.
• Mohammed Kudus was in action for Tottenham but could not prevent their 1-0 home defeat to Bournemouth.
• Ibrahim Osman also featured for Auxerre in their loss to Nantes.
• Kamaldeen Sulemana made a substitute appearance for Atlanta, playing 26 minutes in a 1-1 draw with Parma.
• Thomas Partey returned to the pitch for Villarreal, seeing 22 minutes in a 1-1 draw against Celta Vigo.
• Salis Abdul Samed was given an hour of play for OGC Nice, though his side slumped to a 3-1 loss against Le Havre.

Forwards

• Antoine Semenyo starred for Bournemouth, playing the full game in their impressive 1-0 away victory over Tottenham.
• Joseph Paintsil continued his fine form in the MLS, netting for LA Galaxy in their 2-1 win over Orlando City.
• Jerry Afriyie featured for the entire duration as RAA La Louvière secured a 3-2 win over KV Mechelen.
• Jordan Ayew put in a solid shift for Leicester City, lasting the full 90 minutes in their 2-0 triumph over Birmingham.
• Christopher Bonsu Baah was absent from the matchday squad for Al Qadisiya’s fixture against Al Najma.
• Inaki Williams played 75 minutes for Athletic Bilbao, helping them secure a 2-1 victory over Real Betis.

With varying degrees of game time and form, Otto Addo will be closely monitoring his squad as they regroup for the decisive World Cup qualifying matches. Several players head into camp with strong performances under their belt, while others will be eager to use the qualifiers to reignite their club form.